Femi Fabunmi

The Lagos State Government has taken the National Assembly to the Supreme Court, accusing it of disobeying an earlier judgment that ruled federal laws on lottery and gaming unconstitutional.

In a new motion, Lagos asked the court for permission to begin contempt proceedings against the National Assembly.

The state wants the court to issue Form 48, which serves as a formal warning that a person or body has violated a court order. If the warning is ignored, it could lead to imprisonment for contempt.

Lagos’ lawyer, Bode Olanipekun (SAN), said the National Assembly broke the law by working on the new Central Gaming Bill, even though the Supreme Court had already ruled in November 2024 that the federal government had no power to legislate on gaming or lottery matters.

In its affidavit, Lagos pointed out that many sections of the new bill especially Clauses 7 and 21–64 deal directly with lottery and gaming, just like the National Lottery Act that was struck down last year.

The state added that Clause 62, which tries to keep previous actions under the voided law valid, was an attempt to challenge the Supreme Court’s authority.

The Lagos Government argued that since no part of the Constitution had been changed to give the federal government control over gaming, only state governments could regulate such activities.

The 2024 Supreme Court ruling had made it clear that lottery and gaming are not part of the National Assembly’s powers, rejecting the claim that the federal government could control them because they involve interstate

Source; PM News