In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has nullified the National Lottery Act 2005, enacted by the National Assembly .
The seven-member panel, led by Justice Mohammed Idris, unanimously ruled on Friday that the National Assembly overstepped its bounds by legislating on lottery and games of chance.
According to the court, the power to regulate lottery and games of chance lies exclusively with state Houses of Assembly, not the National Assembly.
This means that the National Lottery Act 2005 can no longer be enforced in all states, except the Federal Capital Territory, where the National Assembly has jurisdiction ¹.
The lawsuit was initially filed in 2008 by Lagos State and other states, challenging the constitutionality of the National Lottery Act 2005.