The Supreme Court on Friday annulled the National Lottery Act enacted in 2005 by the National Assembly, declaring it unconstitutional.
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In a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel of Justices, the court ruled that the National Assembly lacks the authority to legislate on matters related to lottery and games of chance. According to the apex court, this jurisdiction exclusively belongs to state Houses of Assembly.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Mohammed Idris stated, “The National Assembly is bereft of powers to legislate on issues relating to lottery and games of chance. These powers reside solely with the Houses of Assembly of states in the federation.”
The court further directed that the National Lottery Act 2005 should no longer be enforced in states of the federation, except in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where the National Assembly has legislative authority.
This landmark decision stems from a suit filed in 2008 by Lagos State and several other states, challenging the Federal Government’s authority to regulate lottery and games of chance nationwide.
The ruling reaffirms the autonomy of state governments in regulating lotteries within their jurisdictions and limits the reach of federal laws to the FCT in this regard.
