From NDUJIHE UGWU, Abuja
The Supreme Court today (Friday, November 22) nullified the National Lottery Act enacted in 2005 by the National Assembly.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel of Justices, held that the National Assembly had no powers to legislate on issues relating to lottery and games of chance.
According to the court, such powers only reside with Houses of Assembly of the States of the federation, which have exclusive jurisdiction over matters pertaining to lottery.
Consequently, the court, in its lead judgment tdelivered by Justice Mohammed Idris, ordered that the National Lottery Act 2005 be no longer enforced in all the States except the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for which the National Assembly has the powers to make laws.
The judgment stemmed from a suit filed in 2008 by Lagos and some other States, challenging the legal right of the federal government to regulate the issue of lottery and games of chance across the country.
