Gaming Bill: Civil Society Groups caution  National Assembly against ‘Legislative Rascality’

Gaming Bill: Civil Society Groups caution  National Assembly against ‘Legislative Rascality’

Nelson Ekujumi (middle) and other activists at the briefing in Lagos

The Coalition for Good Governance (CGG), a consortium of over 80 civil society and public interest groups, has accused the National Assembly of embarking on what it described as a “voyage of legislative rascality, recklessness and lawlessness” over its move to consider a Central Gaming Bill in defiance of a subsisting Supreme Court judgment.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, the group’s convener, Comrade Nelson Ekujumi, said the National Assembly’s attempt to reintroduce legislation on lottery and gaming directly contradicts the 2024 Supreme Court ruling which nullified the National Lottery Act 2005 and restricted federal jurisdiction to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“The Supreme Court, being the apex court of the country, has the exclusive final authority to interpret the Constitution,” Ekujumi declared.

“Once the Supreme Court has made a decision on a subject, it becomes final and binding on all persons and authorities — including the Executive and the Legislature,” he added.

According to him, the National Assembly’s move to pass the Central Gaming Bill is unconstitutional and amounts to “an assault on legislative integrity, national security, and democracy itself.”

“We are at a loss to rationalise why the National Assembly, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, is attempting to illegally and unconstitutionally rewrite the law,” Ekujumi said, saying that “This is nothing short of legislative provocation and lawlessness which stands condemned in all ramifications.”

He cited the Supreme Court’s judgment of November 22, 2024, which held that the National Assembly lacked powers to legislate on lottery and gaming for the entire federation, except for the Federal Capital Territory.

The ruling, he explained, followed a suit filed by Lagos State and 21 other states challenging the Federal Government’s powers to regulate lotteries nationwide.

Quoting directly from the judgment, Ekujumi said: “The legislative authority of each State House of Assembly encompasses the power to regulate activities such as lotteries and other forms of gaming. The National Assembly lacks the competence to enact the National Lottery Act 2005, as lottery is not included in either the Exclusive or Concurrent Legislative Lists in the Second Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution.”

He warned that proceeding with the Central Gaming Bill would “undermine the authority of the Supreme Court, destabilise the federal system, and embolden further acts of constitutional violation.”

“If the Senate proceeds with this illegal bill, it would amount to a brazen defiance of judicial authority and a direct attack on the rule of law,” he said.

“Our lawmakers must not forget that their legitimacy is derived from the Constitution — not from political expediency,” he added.

The coalition demanded an immediate halt to what it termed the “illegal and unconstitutional voyage of legislative rascality” and called on the Senate to decline concurrence with the bill.

“The Senate now has a golden opportunity to retrace its steps by refusing to be railroaded into this reckless voyage,” Ekujumi urged, saying that “It must reject the Central Gaming Bill in the interest of democracy, national peace, and legislative honour.”

The CGG also called on the House of Representatives to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians for what it described as “an assault on legislative integrity and the Constitution” through the passage of the bill in the lower chamber.

Ekujumi added that the coalition would continue to mobilise public opinion and civic action to resist any move that undermines constitutional order.

“We will not stand idly by while a few lawmakers attempt to erode the authority of the judiciary and subvert our federal structure,” he vowed.

“Our democracy must be governed by law, not legislative arrogance.”

The press conference statement was jointly signed by Razaq Olokoba, Razaq Oladosu, Gbenga Soloki, Ajayi Popoola, Peter Oparah, Shola Justice Omolola, and Gbenga Omage, all co-conveners of the coalition.

Tags: Central Gaming Bill Coalition for Good Governance, Nelson Ekujimi