Lagos State has approached the Supreme Court seeking leave to initiate contempt proceedings against the National Assembly for continuing efforts to pass the Central Gaming Bill, despite a standing apex court judgment declaring such legislation unconstitutional.
The motion, filed on behalf of the Attorney-General of Lagos State by Bode Olanipekun (SAN), requested the Supreme Court to allow Lagos to enforce its 2024 judgment through Form 48, the procedural instrument in Nigerian law used to warn parties in contempt of court. Failure to comply after issuance can lead to committal to prison.
In an affidavit supporting the motion, Lagos State argued that Clauses 7 and 21–64 of the proposed Bill pertain exclusively to lottery and gaming—areas the Supreme Court ruled fall outside the legislative competence of the National Assembly.
The motion references the landmark case SC.1/2008 – Attorney-General of Lagos State & Ors. v. Attorney-General of the Federation & Ors., in which the apex court struck down the National Lottery Act in November 2024.
According to Lagos, the Central Gaming Bill mirrors key provisions of the invalidated National Lottery Act, defining “lottery” and “online gaming” in similar terms as games of chance or combinations of skill and chance requiring licensing.
Clause 62 of the Bill, which introduces “savings provisions” to revalidate actions under the voided law, was described by Lagos as a direct affront to the authority of the Supreme Court.
The state also argued that neither the Exclusive nor Concurrent Legislative Lists in the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) have been updated to include lottery or gaming, confirming that the National Assembly lacks jurisdiction to legislate on these matters.
The 2024 judgment had clarified that the National Assembly cannot regulate lottery or gaming under federal law, rejecting claims that Item 62 of the Exclusive Legislative List on “trade and commerce” or the interstate/electronic nature of gaming confers legislative power.
By seeking contempt proceedings, Lagos State aims to enforce the Supreme Court ruling, a move that could reaffirm judicial authority and set a significant precedent regarding the limits of federal legislative power in Nigeria.
