Nigeria: Tinubu Halts Gaming/Lottery Centralization Attempt
The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, confirmed that he will not promulgate the recently approved Central Gaming Bill by Parliament, considering that the initiative violates the constitutional boundaries between federal power and the states.
During a meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, Tinubu was categorical in stating that his role as a “constitutional democrat” obliges him to respect the distribution of powers established in the Constitution. Within that framework, he made it clear that the regulation of gaming and lotteries does not fall within the federal scope.
The legislative initiative, approved by the National Assembly of Nigeria last December 2, sought to grant the central government powers to regulate lottery and gaming activities throughout the national territory, including the states and the Federal Capital Territory. The proposal quickly generated opposition from state authorities and legal experts.
Legal warning and judicial precedent
One of the main challenges came from the state of Lagos. Its Attorney General, through the renowned constitutional lawyer Wole Olanipekun, SAN, sent a formal communication to the Attorney General of the Federation warning that signing the bill would mean ignoring a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
In that ruling, issued last year, the highest court declared the National Lottery Act unconstitutional, determining that gaming and lotteries are residual matters and, therefore, the exclusive competence of the states, not the federal Parliament.
Tinubu reinforced this interpretation by publicly stating that the idea of a centralized lottery contradicts the constitutional text. “Gaming and lottery are residual matters. They do not belong to the federal legislative sphere. I reviewed it carefully and I am not going to sign that law,” he said.
Support from the legal field
Olanipekun welcomed the presidential decision and highlighted that the rejection of the bill demonstrates respect both for the Constitution and for the decisions of the Judiciary. In statements cited by the local press, he stated that Parliament should not have attempted to reinstate a federal regulation that had already been annulled by the Supreme Court.
The lawyer also valued the role of the Attorney General of the Federation and pointed out that the president acted in accordance with solid legal advice. For Olanipekun, Tinubu’s refusal to promulgate the law represents a concrete example of the functioning of the democratic system and the balance of powers in Nigeria.
With this decision, the Nigerian president closes the door to a centralized model of gaming regulation and reinforces the autonomy of the states in an industry that, in recent years, has gained economic and political weight in the country.
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