Tinubu declines assent to Central Gaming Bill

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 22 December 2025 2:25am WAT

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has assured state governments that he would not assent to the Central Gaming Bill, newly passed into law by the National Assembly.

Giving the assurance at the weekend in Abuja, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the Nigerian leader stressed that as a “Constitutional Democrat”, he knows where his exclusive legislative capacity starts and ends.

Recall that the National Assembly, on December 2, 2025, passed the Central Gaming Bill aimed at giving legal powers to the Federal Government to regulate lottery and gaming across the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Displeased with the action of the federal lawmakers, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, through his legal representatives, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), had written to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), warning against signing the bill into law, noting that the action would be tantamount to a disregard for the orders of the Supreme Court.

The apex court had, in a judgment last year, nullified the National Lottery Act on the grounds that it falls outside the legislative powers of the federal legislators.

Olanipekun had, in the letter dated December 12, 2025, specifically urged Fagbemi to appeal to President Tinubu not to sign the bill into law.

According to senior law, the new bill, as passed by the National Assembly, is illegal and unconstitutional, based on the apex court’s judgment, which held that the National Assembly lacked the necessary legal powers to legislate on lotteries, as this is a residual matter for the State Houses of Assembly.

And in what appeared to be a heed to the advice of the AGF, the President assured the APC members at the NEC meeting of his desire to always obey the Constitution of the country.

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