Festus Onifade, a Nigerian subscriber and legal practitioner, has withdrawn his lawsuit against MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd., the company behind DStv and GOtv, effectively ending the legal dispute over the recent price hike.
On April 7, Onifade filed a notice to discontinue the suit against MultiChoice and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission at the Federal High Court in Abuja, discontinuing
“This suit is hereby wholly discontinued against the defendants,” the filing said, offering no explanation for the withdrawal.
The case, registered as FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2025, was initiated on February 27 following MultiChoice’s announcement on February 24 that it would raise subscription rates on its satellite TV services effective March 1.
In a letter signed by John Ugbe, Chief Executive officer, Multichoice, the company cited “prevalent economic factors” and “increased operational costs” for the adjustment. Onifade’s Compact Plus package rose from N25,500 to N30,000 per month.
Onifade contended in his affidavit that MultiChoice’s eight-day notice period fell short of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, specifically Section 128, which mandates companies to provide consumers with sufficient notice to evaluate changes and make informed choices.
“The eight-day’ window… is unjust, unfair, unreasonable, illegal, grossly inadequate and a breach of my consumer rights,” he wrote, citing MultiChoice’s dominant role in broadcasting Premier League and European football content in Nigeria.
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The lawyer however referenced a 2022 tribunal ruling against MultiChoice’s earlier price hike which is still pending while the company appealed, arguing procedural flaws and a lack of jurisdiction. Onifade claimed the unresolved appeal barred further tariff adjustments.
Onifade requested several remedies in his February filing, including a declaration that the notice period for the price hike was unlawful, an order to suspend the March 1 increase, and N22m in damages and legal costs.
The defendants failed to respond by the March 29 deadline, despite court rules requiring them to do so, and the tariff hike proceeded as planned.
Onifade then withdrew the lawsuit over a month later, effectively ending the proceedings without a court decision.
The discontinuance, signed by Onifade and his colleagues Sa’adah Abdulmalik and Ahmad Usman Ahmad, was served to MultiChoice in Maitama, Abuja, and the FCCPC at its Asokoro office.
Neither party had commented publicly by Thursday.
The subscriber had written to MultiChoice on February 27 demanding a suspension of the hike and asked the FCCPC to investigate, warning that failure to act would force him to seek legal redress.
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