Tribunal adjourns suit challenging price hike by Multichoice

A Competition and Consumer Protection (CCP) tribunal sitting in Abuja has adjourned a suit challenging the price increase by MultiChoice Nigeria Limited.

Multichoice is the owner of the satellite television services, DStv and Gotv — popular subscription-based platforms in Nigeria.

A three-member tribunal, presided over by Thomas Okosun, adjourned the case on Thursday following an application by Festus Onifade, a legal practitioner, who sued the company on behalf of himself and the coalition of Nigerian consumers.

Jamiu Agoro, counsel for the firm, had filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to hear the matter.

While MultiChoice Nigeria Limited is the first defendant, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is the second respondent.

Onifade had prayed the tribunal for an order, restraining the firm from increasing subscription for its services and other products on April 1, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated and filed on March 30.

The tribunal had granted the ex-parte motion, directing parties to maintain “status quo antebellum” (to maintain the situation as it existed before).

But in a sitting on April 11, Onifade said he had filed a written address and contempt proceedings against John Ugbe, managing director of MultiChoice, and the company’s directors for them to show cause why they should not be committed to prison for alleged disregard of the panel’s order made on March 30.

When asked about disobeying the court’s order, Agoro had said, “As much as the questions which the tribunal has posed, the issue has been where there is an order of the court and an aggrieved party who had either applied to set aside that order or had exercised its rights of appeal against that order, such party cannot be held to be in contempt of that order”. 

He said in view of his application challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal, “this court is to first inquire whether it has the jurisdiction to determine the application”.

Okosun had therefore ordered that the status quo be maintained antebellum, pending the determination of the matter and had adjourned the case till May 5.

Upon resumption of the matter on Thursday, Onifade prayed the tribunal to adjourn the case on medical reasons as he’ll need time to recover and be fit.

Agoro said he had no objections to the application as this was an issue regarding health.

Since the parties involved in the suit did not oppose the application, the tribunal then adjourned the case till June 15, 2022.