An Abuja-based lawyer, Festus Onifade, has withdrawn a suit against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, challenging the recent hike in subscription fees for DStv and GOtv services.
Recall that MultiChoice, on February 24, officially announced an increase in the subscription prices of DStv and GOtv packages, with effect from March 1.
The adjustments saw prices increase by up to 25 percent across various packages, with DStv Compact rising from N15,700 to N19,000.
Compact Plus increased from N25,000 to N30,000; DStv Premium moved from N37,000 to N44,500 and GOtv Supa Plus moved from N15,700 to N16,800.
The announcement, which came nearly one year after the firm’s subscription rates were hiked, garnered a lot of public criticisms.
The Eagle Online recalled that Onifade had dragged MultiChoice before the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal in Abuja, and commenced contempt proceedings against the Pay-TV company.
He also instituted contempt charges against the Manager of Abuja office of MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd, Mr Mohammed Sani, over alleged disobedience to court order.
In a Notice of Consequence of Disobedience to Order of Court, Form 48, marked CCPT/OP/02/2024 and filed on May 7, Onifade accused the MultiChoice MD of spunning the tribunal order restraining the firm from hiking its tariffs.
“Take notice that unless you obey the underlisted order of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal, Abuja, given on the 29th day of April, 2024, you will be guilty of contempt of this tribunal and will be committed to prison,” the Form 48 read.
According to the lawyer, the said April 29 order restrained “the 1st defendant/respondent either by itself, agents, representatives, officers or privies, howsoever described from carrying out the impending increase in tariffs and cost of its products and services intended to take effect from 1st May, 2024, until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed before this tribunal.”
The lawyer said despite the order which was validly served on MultiChoice on April 29, the firm deliberately neglected the order and wilfully increased the tariffs of its products and services on May 1.
In a recent development, Onifade, in another suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2025 and filed on February 27, asked the court to declare that Multichoice’s eight-day notice period for the new tariff increase was “unjust, unfair, unreasonable, illegal, grossly inadequate and a breach of the claimant consumer rights”.
He also said Multichoice ought not to have increased the bouquet prices since there is a pending appeal on the same subject before the court of appeal.
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He prayed the court for an order mandating and compelling Multichoice Nigeria to suspend the price increase for non-compliance with the provision of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) was also joined in the suit as the second defendant.
However, in a notice of discontinuance dated and filed on April 7, the lawyer said he would no longer be proceeding with the suit.
“Take notice that the claimant hereby wholly discontinues this suit against the defendants,” the notice reads.
Meanwhile, a federal high court in Abuja has fixed May 8 to deliver judgment in the suit filed by the FCCPC challenging the price hike.
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