Civil Society Groups Slam National Assembly Over Illegal Central Gaming Bill

Civil Society Groups Slam National Assembly Over Illegal Central Gaming Bill

The Coalition for Good Governance (CGG), a consortium of over 80 civil society organizations, non-governmental bodies, self-determination and public interest groups, has cautioned the National Assembly against what it described as a “voyage of legislative rascality” over the proposed Central Gaming Bill currently before the Senate.

Addressing journalists in Lagos, the Convener of the coalition, Comrade Nelson Ekujumi, alongside co-conveners Razaq Olokoba, Gbenga Soloki, Peter Oparah, Shola Justice Omolola, and others, said the ongoing move by lawmakers to reintroduce federal control over gaming and lottery operations amounts to a direct violation of a subsisting Supreme Court judgment.

Ekujumi recalled that on November 22, 2024, the Supreme Court had nullified the National Lottery Act 2005, ruling that the National Assembly lacked the constitutional powers to legislate on lottery and gaming matters across the federation. The apex court held that such powers are vested exclusively in state Houses of Assembly, except in the case of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Quoting the judgment, the coalition emphasized that “lottery and gaming activities, while generating revenue, do not fall within the core category of economic activities envisaged under Section 16(4)(b) of the Constitution,” and therefore, “cannot be regulated by the National Assembly.”

According to Ekujumi, any attempt by the legislature to reenact a law already declared unconstitutional is tantamount to undermining the judiciary and subverting the 1999 Constitution.

“The Supreme Court has spoken clearly and finally on this matter. The National Assembly cannot override the apex court without first amending the Constitution. Anything short of that is a gross act of legislative recklessness and a danger to our democracy,” he stated.

The coalition further warned that pushing ahead with the Central Gaming Bill would constitute a “threat to national security, the rule of law, and democratic governance,” urging the Senate to resist the temptation to “concur to illegality.”

Among its demands, the group called for:

1. An immediate halt to further legislative action on the Central Gaming Bill.
2. A public apology from the House of Representatives for passing what it described as an “irresponsible and unconstitutional bill.”

The coalition said the Senate now has “a golden opportunity to redeem its integrity” by rejecting the bill outright, stressing that the Constitution and the Supreme Court judgment remain binding on all arms of government.

“We urge the Senate to retrace its steps and uphold the sanctity of the Constitution. The rule of law must prevail over political or institutional arrogance,” the statement concluded.