By Daniel Bampoe
The family feud surrounding the late Ghanaian highlife legend, Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba, has taken a dramatic legal turn following confirmation from the German Embassy in Accra that Akosua Serwaa Fosuh (née Serwaa) is the only legally wedded wife of the deceased musician.
A consular letter issued by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Accra on October 27, 2025, and signed by Susan Lüdtke, the Second Secretary and Consul, stated unequivocally that under German civil law, a valid marriage existed between Charles Kwadwo Fosu and Akosua Serwaa, solemnized in Bornheim, Germany, on December 23, 2004.
The marriage was duly registered at the Bornheim registry office under Entry No. E142/2004.
According to the Embassy, the marriage “has not been dissolved by divorce but ended with the decease of the husband on 26 July 2025,” confirming that Akosua Serwaa remains the legitimate widow.
Attached to the Embassy’s communication was a certified copy of the German marriage certificate to support her legal claim.
This development strengthens Akosua Serwaa’s position in an ongoing legal dispute at the Kumasi High Court, where she is seeking an injunction to stop the planned funeral of the late musician, which the family scheduled for December 6, 2025, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
In her court filings, Akosua Serwaa contends that she has been deliberately sidelined in funeral arrangements despite being Daddy Lumba’s lawful wife, as confirmed by both Ghanaian and German documentation.
She is also seeking to restrain the Lumba family head, Kofi Owusu Fosu, from recognizing Priscilla Ofori, popularly known as Odo Broni, who also claims to have been married to the musician.
The case, presided over by Justice Dorinda Smith Arthur, was last heard on October 16, 2025, and adjourned to October 28, 2025, to allow all parties to file their respective legal responses.
The judge has urged both families to resolve the matter peacefully, noting the national and cultural significance of the late artist.
The dispute has divided the Lumba family, with factions aligning behind either Akosua Serwaa or the extended family led by the family head.
Meanwhile, Daddy Lumba’s children, through a statement signed by Charlyn Fosuh, have distanced themselves from the court case, expressing a desire to remain neutral and to honor their father in a “dignified, respectful, and peaceful” manner.
Beyond the courtroom drama, tensions have also flared over the management of Lumba’s estate, including properties in Germany and Ghana, notably houses at Bornheim, Tantra Hill, Dome, North Legon, and plots of land at Adoato in Kumasi.
Akosua Serwaa insists these belong to the nuclear family, while some members of the extended family are invoking Akan customary inheritance laws to claim traditional rights.
The late musician’s sister, Ernestina Fosu, has further complicated matters by questioning the circumstances surrounding Lumba’s death, calling for an independent probe by both Ghanaian and German authorities.
She has accused some relatives of prioritizing financial gain over the truth about her brother’s passing, and of mismanaging funds meant for the funeral.
