Court To Deliver Ruling On MultiChoice And FCCPC Legal Dispute Over Tariff Increase On May 8

Court To Deliver Ruling On MultiChoice And FCCPC Legal Dispute Over Tariff Increase On May 8

The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled May 8 for the judgment in the ongoing case between MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). MultiChoice has sought to prevent the FCCPC from imposing sanctions over its recent increase in DStv and Gotv subscription fees.

The court set the date after legal representatives for both parties presented their arguments. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, representing MultiChoice, and Prof. J.E.O. Abugu, SAN, for the FCCPC, both adopted their written submissions during Thursday’s session….READ MORE….

Previously, on March 12, Justice James Omotosho had issued an interim injunction preventing the FCCPC from sanctioning MultiChoice pending the outcome of the case. The commission had summoned the company for an investigative hearing on February 27 regarding the price hikes announced on March 1, citing concerns over market dominance and potential anti-competitive behavior. MultiChoice had requested the court’s intervention to prevent the FCCPC from taking action against it before the matter could be fully heard.

The crux of the case revolves around whether the FCCPC has the authority to regulate the pricing decisions of MultiChoice. MultiChoice’s legal team contends that the FCCPC lacks such regulatory power, citing previous rulings and statements from the Nigerian government that market forces, rather than regulatory agencies, should dictate pricing.

On the other hand, the FCCPC argues that it has a mandate to ensure fair market practices and protect consumers, which includes scrutinizing price hikes that could be deemed exploitative.

The court is expected to rule on the matter on May 8, which will determine whether the FCCPC can proceed with its regulatory actions against MultiChoice.