Between FCCPC, MultiChoice, and the Revisionist Brigade

A new and troubling trend has emerged in Nigeria's media space. Let's call it the “Pay-As-You-Go Propaganda’ industry—a phenomenon where litigants, after losing in court, engage an army of pseudo-legal analysts, social media influencers, and media mercenaries to rewrite rulings and hoodwink the public.

- By Emiola Daniel

The most recent example involves MultiChoice Nigeria, operator of DStv and GOtv, whose legal action against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) was thrown out by a Federal High Court in Abuja. Since then, a slew of sponsored commentaries has flooded the media, misrepresenting the court's judgment and maligning the Commission’ integrity.

Let's be clear: MultiChoice was the plaintiff—not the FCCPC, as many misleading headlines suggest. The company had sought to restrain the FCCPC from investigating its pricing model. The court, however, dismissed the case outright as an “abuse of court process.” It found that the suit duplicated an ongoing matter brought earlier by a consumer, Festus Onifade, in which the FCCPC was also a party.

This ruling—delivered by Justice James Omotosho on May 8—was unambiguous: the FCCPC retains full powers under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCPA) 2018, including the right to investigate allegedly exploitative pricing practices. No relief was granted to MultiChoice. None.