A 2018 divorce notice allegedly filed by Akosua Serwaa against Daddy Lumba has resurfaced at a critical moment, raising uncomfortable questions about why she now claims to remain legally married to the late musician if she sought to end their union seven years ago.
The document, dated February 4, 2018, and reportedly issued through Mercer & Company law firm, contains serious allegations including desertion, bigamy, domestic violence, and claims that the highlife legend fathered over seventeen children outside their marriage. Yet Akosua Serwaa currently argues in court that she remains Daddy Lumba’s legitimate wife under German statutory law.
This apparent contradiction sits at the heart of the ongoing funeral disputes. If Serwaa sought divorce in 2018 as the resurfaced notice suggests, what happened to those proceedings? Did they stall, get withdrawn, or never reach completion under German legal requirements? The answers could determine who has authority over Ghana’s musical icon’s final rites.
Entertainment pundit MC Yaa Yeboah has voiced what many observers are thinking. “Why didn’t you sue Daddy Lumba for bigamy when he was alive?” she questioned, pointing out that the 2018 notice explicitly accused the musician of committing a criminal act by allegedly marrying another woman while still legally bound to Serwaa.
The timing raises eyebrows. For seven years, from the alleged 2018 divorce filing until Daddy Lumba’s death in July 2025, no public evidence emerged of completed divorce proceedings, bigamy prosecutions, or domestic violence charges despite the serious allegations contained in the legal notice. Now, only after his death, do these claims become central to determining funeral arrangements and marital legitimacy.
Legal experts note that filing a divorce notice doesn’t automatically dissolve a marriage, particularly when dealing with German statutory law. The process requires formal court proceedings, potential reconciliation attempts, and final judicial decree. Without evidence of completed proceedings, the marriage technically remains valid even if one party initiated divorce.
This legal complexity may explain Serwaa’s current position. She could argue that while she sought divorce in 2018 due to alleged mistreatment, the marriage was never formally dissolved, leaving her as the legitimate widow with authority over funeral decisions. However, this raises questions about why proceedings weren’t completed if the allegations were as serious as the notice suggests.
The Fosu Royal Family has countered with their own narrative, claiming through lawyers at Baba Jamal & Associates that Serwaa deserted Daddy Lumba by refusing to relocate to Ghana during his illness approximately fifteen years ago. They further allege she presented traditional drinks signifying customary dissolution of marriage, effectively ending the union under Ashanti custom even if German law wasn’t satisfied.
This clash between German statutory requirements and Ghanaian customary practice creates legal uncertainty. Under German Civil Code Section 1306, which enforces strict monogamy, Daddy Lumba’s 2004 statutory marriage to Serwaa would prevent any subsequent valid marriage. Yet under Ashanti customary law, marriages can be dissolved through traditional processes that don’t require court involvement.
The resurfaced 2018 notice reportedly accused Daddy Lumba of publicly acknowledging another woman as his wife despite knowing “bigamy is a criminal act.” It stated: “You boldly refer to your mistress and hold her out in public, on social and other media platforms as your wife, regardless of the penal consequences.”
If accurate, this raises uncomfortable questions about why no criminal complaint was filed. Bigamy carries serious legal consequences in Ghana, yet despite this explicit accusation in a legal notice, no evidence suggests law enforcement investigated or prosecuted such charges during Daddy Lumba’s lifetime.
The alleged domestic violence claims present similar puzzles. The notice reportedly stated that Serwaa had “many marks on her body and an almost deformed lip” from alleged abuse, yet no police reports, restraining orders, or assault charges appear to have followed. Domestic violence is a serious crime, and victims with documented evidence typically have strong cases for prosecution and divorce.
Cultural factors may partially explain this apparent inaction. Many Ghanaian women endure domestic challenges privately, particularly when married to high-profile figures whose public image differs dramatically from private behavior. The notice reportedly quoted Serwaa saying she “had borne all these inhuman treatment and simmered her painful sentiments underneath her in the name of love and for the sake of her children.”
Yet this cultural context doesn’t fully address why a woman who allegedly sought legal representation, drafted formal notices, and documented serious allegations would then not follow through with either divorce proceedings or criminal complaints for seven years until after the alleged perpetrator’s death.
The document’s resurfacing through media personality Afia Schwarzenegger, who was close to Daddy Lumba before his death, adds another dimension. Her decision to share this alleged notice could be interpreted as supporting transparency or as choosing sides in the funeral disputes. Either way, it’s introduced evidence that complicates narratives from all parties.
For Serwaa, the 2018 notice could strengthen her current legal position by demonstrating the relationship’s longevity and her legal standing, even if marital problems existed. It shows she was asserting rights as a wife seven years ago, supporting claims she never stopped being legally married despite difficulties.
However, it also opens her to questions about consistency. If the marriage was so intolerable that she sought divorce, alleged criminal behavior, and documented abuse in 2018, why does she now fight to be recognized as the legitimate widow entitled to funeral authority? Did circumstances change? Did reconciliation occur? Or were the 2018 allegations exaggerated?
The Fosu Royal Family might use this document to argue that Serwaa herself acknowledged the marriage had effectively ended by 2018, supporting their position that she has no standing to control funeral arrangements. They could contend that her current claims contradict her own previous legal position.
Legal proceedings, if they occur, will need to establish what happened between February 2018 and July 2025. Did parties reconcile? Were divorce proceedings withdrawn or simply abandoned? Under what legal framework, German or Ghanaian, should marital status be determined? And how should courts weigh allegations made while someone was alive but not pursued versus claims asserted after death?
The broader implications extend beyond this specific case. Ghana increasingly sees international marriages involving citizens who’ve lived abroad, creating potential conflicts between different legal systems when relationships break down. How courts handle the intersection of German statutory law and Ghanaian customary practice could establish precedents affecting future cases.
For the public, the resurfaced notice humanizes what might otherwise seem like dry legal disputes. It portrays real people dealing with alleged betrayal, abuse, and broken promises over decades. Yet it also raises legitimate questions about timing, consistency, and why serious allegations reportedly weren’t pursued when the accused could respond.
As funeral disputes continue, this 2018 document serves as a reminder that legal positions can be complicated by parties’ previous actions and statements. What people claimed years ago, what they did or didn’t do with those claims, and how current positions align with past assertions all become relevant when courts must determine legitimacy and authority.
Whether the resurfaced divorce notice ultimately helps or hurts Akosua Serwaa’s current legal position depends on answers to questions that may emerge only through formal judicial proceedings, if parties can’t reach negotiated settlement first.