Supreme Court Annuls National Lottery Act
The Supreme Court has declared the National Lottery Act of 2005 null and void. The verdict, unanimously reached by a seven-judge panel, states that the National Assembly has no authority over lottery and games of chance.
The court ruled that exclusive jurisdiction over such matters rests with state Houses of Assembly. Consequently, the National Lottery Act will cease to be enforced nationwide, except in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The court acknowledged that the National Assembly can legislate on the matter only within the FCT.
The Supreme Court’s decision stems from a lawsuit filed in 2008 by Lagos and several other states. The plaintiffs argued that the National Lottery Act infringed upon their exclusive powers to regulate lottery and games of chance within their jurisdictions.