Lagos Applies To Join Rivers In Legal Battle Against FIRS VAT Appeal

The Lagos state government has applied to be included as Co-respondents with the Rivers State government in an appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS challenging the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

It can be recalled that a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt declared that the FIRS possesses no power to collect VAT and Personal Income Tax in Rivers State.

The Lagos state government on Friday applied to the court of appeal, Abuja Division to be joined as a co-respondent in the case.

It was gathered that the Attorney General of Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) informed the court of the decision. The FIRS on the other hand sought for a stay of execution of the trial court’s judgment.

Onigbanjo argued that the application for joinder should be taken first before FIRS’ application for stay of execution.

However, the counsel for the FIRS, Mahmoud Magaji (SAN) argued that their application for stay of execution should take precedence over the application for joinder.

The court stood down the matter for the ruling.