President Bola Tinubu has aligned with the Director-General of the Oyo State Gaming and Lottery Board, Mr Olajide Boladuro, on the regulation of gaming and lottery activities in Nigeria, reaffirming that the matter falls within the constitutional jurisdiction of state governments.
The President made this position clear while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s National Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja on Friday.
He stated unequivocally that he would not assent to any bill seeking to centralise lottery and gaming regulation, describing such efforts as unconstitutional and contrary to an existing Supreme Court judgment.
President Tinubu emphasised that he is a constitutional democrat and would respect the division of legislative powers as outlined in the Constitution.
He explained that gaming and lottery regulation is a residual matter, which places it under the authority of state governments rather than the Federal Government.
“I want to commend the National Assembly for their efforts to amend the constitution to accommodate women; we are in full support of that. But what I want you to forget is centralised lotto. Go and read the constitution very well; it is a residual matter.”
“Where my exclusive legislative capacity as President starts and ends, residual matters belong to the exclusive legislature of the states. Don’t tread near it; I am a constitutional democrat.”
“A lottery, lotto, lotto law, or bill coming from the National Assembly to centralise lotto, I will not sign it.”
The President’s stance mirrored the position earlier articulated by Mr Boladuro, who appeared on Arise TV on Thursday to clarify the legal framework governing gaming and lottery operations in the country.
During the interview, Boladuro appealed to President Tinubu to uphold the Supreme Court’s judgment on gaming and lottery regulation.
He argued that the emergence of online and digital lottery platforms does not alter regulatory jurisdiction.
According to him, regulation is determined by law and subject matter, not by the technology through which gaming activities are conducted, maintaining that digital platforms merely serve as channels and do not confer federal regulatory authority.
He further alleged that proponents of federal control over gaming were attempting to undermine the Supreme Court ruling by pushing a centralised gaming bill through the National Assembly for personal gain.
“This matter has been lingering for a long time; it started as far back as 2008. Online does not change jurisdiction. Regulations are determined by residual law and subject matter, not by technology, which is the argument of those pushing the central gaming bill,” Boladuro said.
Meanwhile, with President Tinubu’s latest remarks, the Federal Government has once again affirmed its commitment to constitutional provisions and judicial pronouncements, reinforcing the position that gaming and lottery regulation remains the responsibility of state governments.
