No, they cannot get married. You may want to ask: why?

Here is why:

1. In the Nigerian Legal system, there are two types of marriages known to law:

2. Statutory marriage and customary marriage.

3. For some legal scholars, there is a third, which is Islamic law. According to them, Islamic law is different from customary law.

4. Now, Statutory marriage is governed by the Marriage Act and Matrimonial causes Act, while customary marriage is governed by customary law.

5. To further break it down, Statutory marriage is what we erroneously call 'white wedding/court wedding', while traditional wedding is what we call 'traditional wedding'.

6. . Under statutory type of marriage (that is, the white/court wedding), there are certain classes of people, a person intending to marry is prohibited from marrying.

7. These classes of people have been divided into two categories and they are:

(a). People you are in the prohibited degrees of Consanguinity with; and

(b) People you are in the prohibited degrees of Affinity with.

8. If you go into Marriage with any of these people, your marriage will not be recognised by law.

But what do we mean any consanguinity and affinity?

Let me explain.

PROHIBITED DEGREE OF CONSANQUINITY:

This category of people, are those related to you by blood and the are his (for the man):

- Ancestress
- Descendant
- Sister
- Father’s Sister
- Mother’s Sister
- Brother’s daughter
- Sister’s daughter.

5. For the woman:
- Ancestors
- Descendant
- Brother
- Father’s brother
- Mother’s brother
- Brother’s son
- Sister’s son
- children
- Grandchildren
- Step children etc.

Let us examine the second category of persons a person intending to marry is prohibited from marrying.

6. PROHIBITED DEGREE OF AFFINITY:

Affinity is the relationship a person has to the blood relatives of a spouse by virtue of the marriage.

HOWEVER

Under this category of prohibition, the law is that persons who insist on marrying under this category, may apply to a judge that they so wish to marry.

PS: Kindly ignore the numbering herein. Follow the thread, you won't be lost.

If the judge is satisfied with the reasons and situation, he may approve of such marriage, despite the relationship of affinity that exist between the parties - intending to marry. Under this category, the circumstance must be so exceptional. Failing that, wahala go dey.

Under this category, this are the classes of persons you are prohibited from marrying:

- Wife’s mother
- Wife’s grandmother
- Wife’s daughter
- Wife’s daughter’s daughter
- Wife’s son’s daughter
- Father’s wife
- Grandfather’s wife
- son’s wife

- son’s son’s wife
- Daughter’s son’s wife
- Husband’s father
- Husband’s grandfather
- Husband’s son
- Husband’s son’s son
- Husband’s daughter’s son
- Mother’s husband
- daughter’s husband
- Son’s daughter’s husband
- Daughter’s daughter’s husband

From the forgoing, it is clear that they cannot marry. Whoever asked the now viral question is hereby advised accordingly.