The deposed District Head of Kauraye, in Katsina State, Abubakar Ahmadu, has said he followed due process in conducting Tuesday’s marriage contract that drew the ire of the state government and Katsina Emirate Council.

Ahmadu was removed and subsequently retired from office following a wedding contract he officiated, in which one of the parties was said to be HIV-positive.

Both the emirate council and state government had based the decision to remove him from office on his decision to preside over the wedding without a medical certificate.

Responding to the development, in a statement, yesterday, the deposed traditional ruler said the couple had undergone counselling and visited relevant medical persons, the outcome of which was made available to the state government.

He explained: “Indeed, the two persons in question approached me to preside over their wedding, as the legal guardian of one of them. In this regard and as the law prohibits stigmatisation of people with HIV, I led them to a medical doctor and later the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA).

“They were appropriately counselled on this marriage and they both agreed to abide by the rules involved. In such cases, it is well known that where one is, or both of the parties are HIV-positive, the rule on stigmatisation and discrimination precludes any issue of a medical certificate.”

According to him, all the facts of the case, including the letter of agreement by the man, the drugs recommended by the medical doctor, the SACA counselling and the agreement on confidentiality were presented to the state government.

“Let the public that has been exposed to this unjust action be the judge,” he added.