The arrival was marked by scenes of joy and deep emotion, as family members, close associates, and fans assembled to receive her.

Among those present were Akosua Bempomaa, the musician’s grandmother, as well as other relatives, including members of Lumba’s maternal family, all united in anticipation of the event.

Akosua Serwaa was also received by veteran gospel musician Papa Shee, who has since been her cheerleader.

The celebration of life is scheduled to take place on March 28 and 29, 2026. The event forms part of funeral rites from the maternal side of the family, following earlier burial arrangements that did not fully involve that lineage.

In honour of the late icon, specially designed “Celebration of Life” attire has been unveiled under the theme “Wo do nti Nyame nhyira wo.” The design features a dove set against a love-themed background, symbolising peace, affection, and the lasting influence of Daddy Lumba’s music across generations.

Despite a series of injunction applications reportedly filed at the Accra High Court by former family head Abusuapanyin Tupac Fosu, organisers have indicated that the event will proceed as planned.

Daddy Lumba, widely regarded as one of Ghana’s most influential highlife musicians, left behind a rich musical legacy that continues to resonate both locally and internationally.

Watch video below:

Speaking on Adom TV’s morning show Badwam, Papa Shee said Akosua Serwaa, who is currently in Germany, chose to leave the matter in God’s hands after learning of the funeral through hearsay.

He explained that some members of Daddy Lumba’s immediate family were also absent because they are based abroad and had requested a postponement to allow everyone to be present.

Papa Shee disclosed that he personally did not attend the funeral, respecting elders who had withdrawn from the arrangements, and instead stayed home to worship.

“I didn’t attend the funeral because I was at home worshipping. I didn’t see a need to go, especially since I can’t disrespect my elders who said they would not be attending. Akosua Serwaa is in Germany, and some family members are overseas; that’s why they wanted the funeral postponed until everyone could be present,” he said.

He added, “Akosua Serwaa has left everything in God’s hands. She was not officially informed about the funeral date on the 13th; it was only hearsay. Since Lumba’s immediate family wasn’t present at the funeral, it’s up to the family to decide if there will be another service. Akosua Serwaa is the reason Daddy Lumba became who he was.”

Despite family disagreements, thousands of mourners thronged Heroes Park at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi to pay their last respects to the celebrated musician, Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba.

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The document offers a comprehensive account of the evidence presented, including marriage certificates, witness testimonies, and civil documentation.

It outlines the court’s reasoning for recognising both women’s marital status, addressing claims related to widowhood rites, estate management, and the rights of surviving spouses.

The judgment also clarifies disputes over property, financial entitlements, and family responsibilities, offering guidance on how the musician’s estate is to be managed.

Legal experts note that the case sets a significant precedent in Ghanaian family law, particularly regarding the recognition of multiple marriages under both civil and customary law.

Read full 49-page judgement below:

The court recently rejected her assertion that her marriage to the musician was an ordinance marriage, a status that would have legally prevented him from contracting any subsequent marriages.

Her lawyer, William Kusi, told Accra-based Citi FM that the legal team would “file the appeal by the end of the day,” insisting the High Court erred in its judgment. According to him, “the supporting documents and admissions from the defendants” strongly supported Serwaa’s position.

Kusi also pushed back against public criticism that he mishandled aspects of the case, including concerns about certifying the marriage certificate through a German official. He maintained that the law allows “multiple legitimate means” of submitting such documents and that his team followed due process.

The case has generated significant public attention, highlighting the legal complexities surrounding marriage recognition and validity under Ghanaian law.

According to lawyer William Kusi, the certificate, submitted as proof of a valid marriage, failed to meet basic legal standards.

The court noted missing signatures and other irregularities, which rendered the document unreliable. He explained that the court ruled the document was an extract, not the original certificate, further weakening their claim.

However, Kusi insisted that the certificate is authentic under German law.

The court also invalidated photographic evidence of Akosua Serwaa and Daddy Lumba’s marriage, citing the possibility of technological manipulation.

In its ruling, the court considered Daddy Lumba’s own recorded statements, in which he referred to both women as his wives.

Consequently, the Kumasi High Court on Thursday ruled that both Akosua Serwaa and Yvonne Odo Broni qualify as surviving spouses, granting each the right to widowhood rites and entitlements. The court urged the abusuapanyin and family heads to handle the distribution of widowhood rites and responsibilities amicably.

Commenting on the ruling, Lawyer Kusi said that while the outcome was disappointing, their next steps would depend on a thorough review of the judgment.

“If, after meeting with the delegation, we find it necessary to appeal, we will. At the end of the day, the truth will prevail,” he said.

The decision ends months of fierce legal and public debate over who should perform the musician’s widowhood rites, who controls his estate, and who rightfully bears the title of “widow”.

This means they can both perform the widowhood rites.

While the reasoning for the full ruling is yet to be made available, it is the view of the court that Akosua Serwaa did not provide original marriage certificates of the supposed civil marriage between Daddy Lumba and the plaintiff.

Evidence before the court was extracts and not a true, certified marriage certificate. This ruling is expected to pave the way for the late music icon’s funeral to take place.

Background to the Case

After the death of Daddy Lumba on 26 July 2025, a bitter dispute erupted between two women who claim to be his rightful spouse.
Graphic Online

Akosua Serwaa Fosuh filed a suit on 3 October 2025, asking the court to declare her as the only surviving lawful spouse, a claim based on a civil marriage she said she contracted with the musician in Bornheim, Germany, in 2004.

She also sought to restrain the head of the musician’s extended family, Kofi Owusu Fosu, and Odo Broni from claiming any right to funeral and widowhood rites.

The defendants opposed the claim, arguing that under customary practice, Serwaa’s marriage had been dissolved when she allegedly “returned the head drinks” to the family, a traditional act recognising separation, and that Odo Broni, who lived with Daddy Lumba for over 15 years and bore him six children, was the rightful widow.

What Happened in Court

On 25 November 2025, the court was presented with the supposed original civil-marriage documents from Germany, including notary-certified translations and associated paperwork, supporting Akosua

The defence challenged these documents, citing inconsistencies in font styles and notary signatures, arguing the evidence was submitted “at the eleventh hour.”

The presiding judge, Dorinda Smith Arthur, noted that under Ghanaian family law, simultaneous customary and civil marriages are redundant, as each is independently valid. This observation, made during the hearing, effectively opened the door to recognising multiple marital claims simultaneously.

With cross-examinations completed, the court reserved judgment. On the verdict day, it ruled that both women are to be recognised as spouses of Daddy Lumba, entitling them to certain marital rights and recognising their status in relation to funeral, estate and widowhood rites.

Her Ladyship Dorinda Smith Arthur, the presiding judge, announced the ruling date during the ongoing hearing on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.

So far, a total of five witnesses have testified in the case: three for the plaintiff, Mrs Akosua Serwaa Fosu, and one each for the first defendant, Abusua Panin Kofi Owusu, and the second defendant, Priscilla Ofori.

The plaintiff’s counsel has presented the original civil marriage certificate between the plaintiff and the deceased to the court, as requested. The certificate, along with other key documents, was admitted as evidence despite challenges over its authenticity raised by the counsels for both defendants.

During cross-examination of James Beniako Boateng, a tax analyst and witness for Ms Ofori, he stated that, to his knowledge, the late Daddy Lumba had ended his marriage with the plaintiff.

He explained that during his marriage ceremony with the second defendant on April 10, 2010, the deceased told the family of Ms Ofori that his marriage with the plaintiff had been dissolved.

“I was present at the marriage ceremony of the late Daddy Lumba and Priscilla Ofori when he was asked about his marriage with Akosua Serwaa. I was there to represent my wife, who is a sister to Priscilla Ofori,” Mr Boateng said.

However, he added that the deceased did not provide any document to prove the dissolution of his marriage to the plaintiff, and no media were allowed to record or photograph the ceremony.

Mr Boateng recounted that he got to know Ms Ofori in 2006, during her final year in secondary school. She later enrolled in a nursing school, but the deceased reportedly asked her to drop out in her second year, which she did.

According to him, the deceased and Ms Ofori were in a relationship for four years before getting married and now have six children. After marriage, Daddy Lumba initially stayed with Ms Ofori at Tantara Hills in Accra before moving to their East Legon home in 2016.

He also noted that he saw the deceased in a wheelchair after a spine surgery in 2013, but never bedridden as claimed by others.

Mr Boateng further recounted that in 2018, when the plaintiff visited Ghana to perform her late mother’s funeral rites, Ms Ofori was asked by Daddy Lumba to prepare the Tantara Hills house for her reception. “She prepared the place for her arrival not as a maid, but as the current wife of the late Daddy Lumba,” he said.

During proceedings on Monday, November 24, 2025, counsel for Akosua Serwaa, William Kusi, sought the court’s permission to have Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu, the first defendant and head of the Ekuona family at Parkoso, identify the late musician in the photographs.

The defense lawyers immediately objected, describing the exhibits as “surprises.”

The objection was based on the claim that the timing and context of the photos were unclear, and the defendants had not been given the chance to cross-examine on the exhibits beforehand. Counsel for the second defendant, Priscilla Ofori, Kwasi Mensah Nyarko, also objected to their admission.

When questioned by the presiding judge, Justice Dorinda Smith-Arthur, William Kusi explained that the photographs were part of the marriage certificate and other documents obtained from Germany.

He noted that the exhibits arrived late, which delayed their filing in court. Despite the objections, the judge admitted the photos as evidence.

During cross-examination, Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu identified some of the photographs but stated he was not present when they were taken. He also addressed queries about Odo Broni’s marriage ring in the photos, explaining that rings are normally worn on the fourth finger of the left hand.

Counsel for the plaintiff pressed further, questioning details about the photographs, including whether the images could have been photoshopped. Abusuapanin insisted he could not confirm their authenticity, as he was not present at the time the photos were taken.

The case continues, with the court expected to deliver its ruling on Friday, November 28, 2025.

This development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing dispute over the late musician’s marital status and rightful heirs.

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In a statement, the family said the Embassy had, in a letter dated October 27, 2025, verified that under German civil law, there exists a valid marriage between Charles Kwadwo Fosu and Akosua Serwah, which was celebrated on December 23, 2004, in Bornheim, Germany.

According to the family, the Embassy further clarified that the marriage “had not been dissolved by divorce but ended with the decease of the husband on 26 July 2025.”

The family stated that this official confirmation settles all speculation surrounding the marital status of the late highlife musician, describing it as “a final and authoritative validation” of Mrs. Fosu’s position as the lawful widow of the late artiste.

In the same statement, the family expressed gratitude to fans and sympathizers for their patience and continued support of Mrs. Fosu during what they described as an emotionally difficult period.

They assured the public that their aim is not conflict but clarity, justice, and the preservation of the truth and dignity of their beloved relative.

The family also disclosed that a formal investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of death of the late musician, in collaboration with the Ghana Police CID.

Additionally, a new funeral committee, comprising only direct relatives of the deceased, has been formed to oversee arrangements for a befitting farewell.

Further details on the funeral date and venue are expected to be announced after consultations with relevant stakeholders.

Born in 1964, Daddy Lumba was one of Ghana’s most celebrated highlife musicians, known for a career that spanned more than four decades and produced numerous chart-topping hits.

He passed away on July 26, 2025.

In her suit, Akosua Serwaa is asking the court to declare her as the lawful and surviving spouse of the late musician and to affirm that she alone holds the legal right to perform widowhood rites.

She is further praying the court to restrain the head of the Lumba family, Kofi Owusu Fosu, from recognizing or engaging with the second defendant, Priscilla Ofori Atta, also known as Odo Broni, as a spouse of the deceased.

The plaintiff also wants the court to bar Odo Broni from publicly presenting herself as the surviving wife of Daddy Lumba.

During Thursday’s sitting, counsel for the first defendant filed an application challenging the legal capacity of the plaintiff, urging the court to make a determination on the matter before proceeding.

Her Ladyship Justice Dorinda Smith Arthur also drew attention to an appearance application filed by the parties and directed the respective lawyers to file all responses and applications by October 28.

In a brief remark, the presiding judge encouraged both parties and their families to seek an amicable resolution, citing the significant legacy and national stature of the late Daddy Lumba.

The case, which has attracted public attention due to the high-profile nature of the parties involved, will resume later this month for further proceedings.

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A statement issued and signed by the family secretary on behalf of the widow, Mrs. Akosua Serwah Fosuh, and the deceased’s elder sister, Ms. Ernestina Fosuh, expressed concern over three conflicting accounts of the events leading to his death.

According to the family, an eyewitness claimed that a woman living with Mr. Fosuh prevented a friend from seeing him shortly before he was later reported dead.

A separate police and coroner’s report indicated that the 60-year-old, who was diabetic, died at the Bank Hospital after undergoing an MRI scan at Sunshine Diagnostic Centre.

However, another account from a woman identified as Ms. Priscilla O. conflicted with both reports, stating at one point that he died at the hospital and later claiming he passed away at home.

“These contradictory versions have left the family deeply concerned and distressed,” the statement said.

The family has since reached out to the German Embassy in Accra, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Wiesbaden, and the German Foreign Office in Berlin, urging collaboration with Ghanaian authorities to ensure a thorough investigation.

They have also called on the Ghana Police CID to question two individuals, Ms. Priscilla O. and Mr. Philip Kwabena A., also known as Roman Fada, to assist in uncovering the truth.

“We loved him dearly and are devastated by the unclear and conflicting reports surrounding his death. We have confidence that both the German and Ghanaian authorities will work together to uncover the truth and ensure justice,” the family said.

Source: AdomOnline

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