President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has publicly acknowledged that he won’t give presidential assent to Nigeria’s Central Gaming Bill, reinforcing his view that the regulation of lottery and gaming actions lies outdoors the constitutional authority of the federal authorities. The declaration, cited by The Nation, was made in the course of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee assembly held in Abuja, the place occasion leaders, governors, and federal lawmakers have been in attendance.
The invoice, which was handed by the National Assembly on December 2, seeks to ascertain a centralized federal framework for regulating lottery and gaming throughout Nigeria’s states and the Federal Capital Territory. Its passage has triggered widespread objections from state governments, authorized practitioners, and gaming regulators, significantly in Lagos State, which has been on the middle of earlier constitutional litigation on the matter.
President Emphasizes Constitutional Boundaries
Addressing occasion stakeholders, President Tinubu framed his opposition round constitutional limits on federal energy. He described himself as a agency adherent to democratic rules and careworn that his workplace should function inside outlined authorized boundaries. Speaking on to these supporting the invoice, he mentioned, “I know where my constitutional powers start and where they end.”
Tinubu urged occasion members to revisit the Constitution, making clear that lottery and gaming fall beneath residual issues reserved for state governments. He instructed the gathering: “What I want you to forget is centralised lotto. Go and read the Constitution again. It is a residual matter. Residual matters belong to the legislative authority of the states.”
The president additionally warned towards additional makes an attempt to advance the laws, signaling an finish to debate on the difficulty. “Don’t tread near it. There’s no need for us to argue. I am a constitutional democrat. Lottery, lotto law, centralised lotto, gaming, whatever it is, I have read it. I know it is coming, and I won’t sign it,” he mentioned.
In a separate handle reported from the identical assembly, Tinubu reiterated his stance in related phrases, stating: “What I want you to forget is a centralised lotto,” whereas advising lawmakers to “go and read the constitution again.” He later concluded, “I am a constitutional democrat. Lotteries, lottos, lotto laws, gaming — centralised or whatever it is you call it, I’m not going to sign such [a bill] into law. Thank you very much and have a good evening.”
Legal Background and Lagos State’s Position
Opposition to the Central Gaming Bill intensified following a Supreme Court judgment delivered on November 22, 2024, which nullified the National Lottery Act. The apex courtroom dominated unanimously that the National Assembly lacked the constitutional authority to legislate on lottery and gaming, classifying them as residual issues beneath state jurisdiction.
In response to the brand new invoice, Lagos State, by way of its Attorney-General and represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), wrote to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), cautioning towards presidential assent. The letter argued that signing the invoice would contradict an present Supreme Court judgment.
Olanipekun expressed concern that the National Assembly proceeded with new laws regardless of the courtroom’s ruling. He wrote: “We are further informed that the said legislation purports to repeal the National Lottery Act, as if it were an existing law that had not already been nullified by the Supreme Court. For emphasis, and as rightly acknowledged by your good self at the commencement of the Supreme Court legal year, the National Lottery Act ceased to exist as law on November 22, 2024, when the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in SC.1/2008. The National Assembly cannot subsequently purport to repeal what is no longer in existence.”
The letter additionally famous that the invoice seeks to manage on-line gaming and cross-border gaming actions whereas proposing a income distribution mechanism managed by the federal authorities fairly than funds into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, a transfer Lagos argues runs opposite to constitutional provisions.
Reactions From State Regulators and Legal Experts
State gaming authorities have welcomed Tinubu’s declaration. The Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria, representing 24 states, has persistently opposed the invoice, describing it as a rebranded model of the repealed National Lottery Act. The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority praised the president’s place, stating, “Today, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has unequivocally reaffirmed that gaming and lottery regulation is a residual matter reserved for the states, in line with the constitution.”
Legal analysts have additionally weighed in. Earlier, Obinna Akpuchkwu, a gaming legislation skilled, described the legislative effort as “unconstitutional” and “unfounded,” including, “The current attempt to enact the Central Gaming Bill into law will only be a wasted effort.”
With Tinubu’s agency refusal to signal the invoice, stakeholders throughout Nigeria’s gaming sector view the matter as settled, significantly because the business enters a historically busy interval towards the tip of the 12 months.
