Lawyer Festus Onifade Withdraws Suit Challenging MultiChoice’s Price Hike

Festus Onifade, a Nigerian lawyer, has officially withdrawn his lawsuit against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited over the company’s recent increase in subscription fees for its DStv and GOtv services. The case, which had attracted significant public attention, challenged the legality and fairness of MultiChoice’s price hike.

The dispute began after MultiChoice announced on February 24 that it would raise subscription fees for its DStv and GOtv packages starting March 1. This adjustment marked a substantial increase of up to 25% across various packages.

For instance, the DStv Compact package rose from ₦15,700 to ₦19,000, while Compact Plus increased from ₦25,000 to ₦30,000. Premium subscribers faced a hike from ₦37,000 to ₦44,500, and GOtv Supa Plus jumped from ₦15,700 to ₦16,800. MultiChoice attributed these changes to rising operational costs and economic pressures such as inflation and currency devaluation.

Festus Onifade Withdraws lawsuit against MultiChoice

The price hike sparked widespread criticism among Nigerian consumers, prompting Festus Onifade to file a suit on February 27 at the Federal High Court in Abuja. In his case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2025, Onifade argued that MultiChoice’s eight-day notice period for the tariff increase was “unjust, unfair, unreasonable, illegal, grossly inadequate and a breach of consumer rights.” He also pointed out that there was a pending appeal on a similar matter before the Court of Appeal and claimed MultiChoice should not have implemented the new prices until the appeal was resolved.

Onifade sought court intervention to suspend MultiChoice’s price hike for failing to comply with provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) was also named as a defendant in the suit. The FCCPC had earlier summoned MultiChoice to justify its price increase amid concerns about market dominance abuse and anti-competitive practices.

However, in a surprising turn of events, Festus Onifade filed a notice of discontinuance on April 7, stating that he would no longer proceed with the lawsuit. The notice read: “Take notice that the claimant hereby wholly discontinues this suit against the defendants.” Although no specific reason was provided for Festus Onifade’s decision to withdraw the case, it effectively brought an end to his lawsuit against MultiChoice’s price hike.

Meanwhile, another related legal matter remains ongoing. A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled May 8 to deliver judgment in a separate suit filed by the FCCPC against MultiChoice over its subscription fee adjustments. This case could still have implications for how MultiChoice handles pricing in Nigeria moving forward.

The withdrawal of Festus Onifade’s suit against MultiChoice’s price hike highlights the complexities surrounding consumer rights and corporate practices in Nigeria’s pay-TV industry. While MultiChoice has defended its price increases as necessary due to economic challenges, many consumers continue to express frustration over rising costs. With legal proceedings still underway in other cases involving MultiChoice and regulatory authorities like the FCCPC, this issue remains far from resolved.

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