Supreme Court Sets March 13, 2024, Hearing for Lottery Regulation Dispute.
In a long-standing legal battle, the Supreme Court has scheduled March 13, 2024, as the date to hear a suit filed in 2008 by the Attorney General of Lagos State against the federal government. The case revolves around the control and regulation of the gaming and lottery sector.
A seven-man panel of justices, led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, made this announcement during a resumed sitting on Monday.
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The Attorney General of the Federation serves as the first defendant, with the National Assembly as the second defendant. The Attorneys General of 34 other states were added as defendants on November 15, 2022.
Despite processes filed out of time, the apex court panel unanimously deemed them duly and properly filed, having been regularised.
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Ekiti state joined as a co-plaintiff in the suit following a court order on October 6, 2020. However, the application by the Attorney General of Oyo state to join as co-plaintiff was withdrawn and struck out by the panel.
Legal representations were made by Bode Olanipekun, SAN, for the Lagos State government, and Adetunji Osho for Ekiti State. Innocent Daa’gba represented the federal government, while Ifeanyi Mrialike represented the National Assembly. Notably, Kwara state had no legal representation despite being served with a hearing notice.
The Supreme Court directed the Jigawa and Kaduna governments to resolve issues of legal representation before the next hearing. Justice Kekere-Ekun advised all state governments on one side to present a common argument to streamline the court proceedings.
Speaking to judiciary correspondents, Mr Daagba clarified that he had filed processes and submissions of the federal government since 2020, which have been regularised by the court, paving the way for the hearing.
This legal saga stems from a previous case where the federal government won against Lagos and other states on multiple regulations in the gaming sector. The Bookmakers Association of Nigeria initiated the lawsuit to determine the legitimate regulators of gaming businesses due to concerns about paying multiple taxes and licensing fees.
Despite previous judgments favouring the federal government’s exclusive regulatory authority, disputes persist, leading to this ongoing legal battle. The plaintiffs seek declarations from the apex court regarding the constitutionality of lottery regulation and its jurisdiction.
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