BY Grace Zigah
The legal battle over the estate and marital status of late highlife legend Daddy Lumba has taken a significant turn, with Akosua Serwaa Fosuh filing additional documents at the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn key portions of a High Court judgment that recognized both her and Priscilla Ofori, popularly known as Odo Broni, as surviving spouses of the late musician.
The latest filings signal that the long-running dispute surrounding Daddy Lumba’s marital status, estate, and legacy remains far from over, despite a landmark ruling delivered by the Kumasi High Court in November 2025. The litigant has also hired a new lawyer to fight the appeal.
Background
Following Daddy Lumba’s death on July 26, 2025, a legal contest emerged over who should be recognized as his lawful surviving spouse.
The dispute became one of several controversies that followed the musician’s passing, alongside disagreements over funeral arrangements, burial rites, inheritance issues, and management of his legacy.
At the center of the case was Akosua Serwaa’s claim that she was not only customarily married to the late musician but also entered into a valid monogamous civil marriage with him in Germany.
Her legal team argued that the German marriage effectively elevated her status above any subsequent customary marriage claims.
However, in a judgment delivered on November 28, 2025, Justice Dorinda Smith-Arthur concluded that both Akosua Serwaa and Priscilla Ofori had established customary marriages with the late musician and should therefore be recognized as surviving wives.
The court, however, rejected the German marriage documentation tendered by Akosua Serwaa, ruling that the document presented was merely an extract and not the original marriage certificate required to conclusively prove a civil marriage under the applicable legal standards.
Appeal Targets Key Findings
Unconvinced by the ruling, Akosua Serwaa proceeded to the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn portions of the judgment.
Fresh court filings that surfaced on June 11, 2026, reveal that her legal team has now expanded and amended the grounds of appeal after obtaining permission from the appellate court.
Speaking after a recent court session, counsel for Akosua Serwaa explained that the appeal seeks to challenge what they consider errors in the trial court’s evaluation of the evidence.
According to the lawyer, the appeal specifically contests the finding that Akosua Serwaa failed to establish the existence of a valid civil marriage contracted in Germany.
Evidence
The amended appeal documents argue that the trial court failed to adequately consider substantial evidence presented during the proceedings.
Among the materials cited are evidence of long-term cohabitation, photographs of the couple, eyewitness testimony, children born during the relationship, documentary records, and correspondence from the German Embassy in Ghana.
The legal team maintains that these pieces of evidence collectively supported the existence of a lawful civil marriage and should have carried greater evidential weight in determining the case.
According to the appeal, the trial judge also improperly conflated questions relating to foreign law with the issue of whether a valid marriage had in fact been contracted abroad.
Authentication Requirements
Another major ground of appeal concerns the treatment of the German marriage documentation itself.
Akosua Serwaa’s lawyers argue that the court placed excessive emphasis on the authentication process for foreign documents and treated perceived deficiencies in certification as proof that no marriage existed.
They contend that the trial court misapplied Section 161 of the Evidence Act by effectively elevating certification requirements into mandatory conditions for admissibility and evidential value.
The appeal further argues that even if there were concerns regarding certification by Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Germany, those concerns should not have overshadowed the broader body of evidence supporting the marriage claim.
Potential Implications
The outcome of the appeal could have far-reaching consequences for the administration of Daddy Lumba’s estate.
If the Court of Appeal ultimately accepts Akosua Serwaa’s argument that a valid monogamous civil marriage existed under German law, it could potentially affect aspects of inheritance, estate administration, and the legal status of claims made by other parties.
Conversely, if the appellate court upholds the High Court’s decision, the existing recognition of both women as surviving spouses would remain intact.
