The Court of Appeal in Abuja has scheduled an application by Lagos State to be made a respondent in the appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for ruling at 2 pm today.
A cause list seen by newsmen at the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal indicated that a three-man panel of the court, led by Justice Hamma Tsanami, will deliver the ruling.
The appeal by the FIRS is against the August 9, 2021 judgment by Justice Steven Pam of the Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, voiding the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act and holding the states could collect VAT.
A three-man panel, led by Justice Haruna Simon Tsanami, after listening to arguments by lawyers to parties on September 16, had said they would be informed when the ruling was ready.
In arguing Lagos’ application, the state’s Attorney General, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) said his client was a necessary party as it would be affected by the outcome of the case.
Lawyer to Rivers State, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), agreed with Onigbanjo and urged the court to join Lagos, while lawyers to FIRS and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mahmud Magaji (SAN) and Tijani Gazali (SAN), argued otherwise and prayed the court not to join Lagos.
