The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, under the auspices of the Coalition for Good Governance (CGG), condemned the decision of the Senate to enact a central law regulating the lottery and gambling in Nigeria, saying that doing so went against the unanimous ruling of the Supreme Court that the National Assembly lacked powers to legislate on lottery-related issues with respect to all states in the federation, except the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Abuja.
The coalition, made up of over 80 human rights bodies, expressed its position at a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, led by its spokesperson, Comrade Nelson Ekujumi, urging the Senate to immediately stop what it described as “an illegal and unconstitutional journey of legislative mischief and anarchy.”
Ekujumi, speaking alongside other coalition leaders including Comrades Razaq Olokoba, Razaq Oladosu, Gbenga Soloki, Ajayi Popoola, Peter Oparah, Shola Justice Omolola and Gbenga Omage, said since the apex court had ruled on the matter, that the regulation of gaming and lottery falls within the residual law, the National Assembly should allow the states to carry out their responsibility, while it should only regulate in this matter for the Federal Capital Territory.
Ekujumi equally urged the House of Representatives, which had earlier passed the bill, to make an unreserved apology to the people of Nigeria for what the coalition described as an attack on legislative integrity, honor and the constitution.
The CGG spokesperson, in making the call, said that the groups’ interest in the matter at hand was sparked by the realization that State institutions, charged with the honorable responsibility of making laws for the good governance of society, should not be allowed to deviate and degenerate from the lofty height of upholding the rule of law to condemnable law-breaking, irresponsibility, incitement and undermining peace and security. national.
“As we all know, the Supreme (High) Court on November 22, 2024 struck down the National Lottery Act 2005 enacted by the National Assembly. The judgment followed the suit filed in 2008 by Lagos and other states of the Federation, challenging the powers of the federal government to regulate lottery and gaming activities throughout Nigeria,” he said.
He explained that the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment, comprising seven judges, found that the National Assembly lacked powers to legislate on matters relating to lottery in all states of the federation except the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
“The court ruled that such powers reside only in the state Houses of Assembly, which possess exclusive jurisdiction over the lottery.” Ekujumi said.
Ekujumi posited that the Supreme Court, being the highest court in the land, possesses, by virtue of Sections 6(6)(b), 235 and 287, of the Constitution, the exclusive final authority to interpret the constitution and laws in Nigeria as they affect the rights and obligations of persons and authorities, stating that once it has “made a decision on a matter, particularly under the Constitution of Nigeria, it becomes final and binding on all the people and authorities of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including the Executive and the Legislature.”
“Therefore, if the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the country, decides on a matter of dispute between the federal government and the state governments, its judgment automatically becomes law, therefore, we cannot rationalize the reason why the National Assembly comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives is trying to illegally and unconstitutionally rewrite the law, apart from undermining democracy, national security and the constitution through this trip of anarchy that is condemned in all its ramifications,” he said.
Therefore, he called on the Senate to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the press conference to lay bare the matter, to retrace its step in rejecting concurrence on the Central Gambling Bill, saying that the said bill “does not deserve the Senate’s reciprocity resolution.”
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