The Lagos State Government on Friday applied to the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division to be joined as a co-respondent in the appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service challenging the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had declared that the FIRS has no power to collect VAT and Personal Income Tax in Rivers State.

The matter slated for the day’s activity in court on Friday was the application filed by FIRS seeking for stay of execution of the trial court’s judgment.

However, the Attorney General of Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) informed the court of their application for the Lagos State Government to be joined as a party in the appeal.

He 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.

After listening to submissions from all the parties, the court stood down the matter for the ruling.

The Attorney General of Rivers State, Zacchaeus Adangor, and E. C. Nkala (SAN) for Rivers State.

Tijjani Gazali (SAN) represented the Attorney General of the Federation.

Also in court is the Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, and the Deputy Director & State Coordinator of Rivers, Edo, and Delta Zone, FIRS, Hamisu Mohammed Ibrahim.

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