The Supreme Court of Nigeria has nullified the National Lottery Act 2005, declaring it unconstitutional for the National Assembly to legislate on matters related to lottery and games of chance.
The verdict was delivered in a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel of justices in response to a lawsuit filed in 2008 by Lagos State and several others. Justice Mohammed Idris delivered the lead judgment, affirming that the National Assembly overstepped its legislative boundaries.
The Apex Court ruled that only state Houses of Assembly have exclusive powers to legislate on issues concerning lottery and games of chance, as such matters fall under state jurisdiction.
Consequently, the court ordered that the National Lottery Act 2005 should no longer be applicable across all states in the federation, except the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
