The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has scheduled a ruling for 2 pm on Friday in an application filed by Lagos State to be made a respondent in the appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

The appeal by the FIRS is against the August 9, 2021 judgment by Justice Steven Pam of the Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt, voiding the Value Added Tax Act and holding that states could collect VAT.

Details about the ruling were contained on the court’s cause list ‎pasted on its notice board.

A three-man panel, led by Justice Haruna Simon Tsanami, after listening to arguments by lawyers to the parties on September 16, said they would be informed when the ruling was ready.

While 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.

Counsel to Rivers State, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) agreed with Onigbajo and urged the court to join Lagos while lawyers to FIRS and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mahmud Magaji (SAN) and Tijani Gazali (SAN) argued otherwise and prayed that the court would not to join Lagos.