Telecom Firms Move Against Reps’ Investigation into Service Quality

Telecommunications operators in Nigeria have dragged the House of Representatives before the Federal High Court in Abuja over its planned investigation into the persistent poor quality of network services across the country.

The operators are seeking a court order restraining the lawmakers from interfering with the regulatory responsibilities of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which they argue has the statutory authority to monitor and regulate service quality in the telecommunications sector.

The plaintiffs include the Registered Trustees of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Airtel Networks Limited, Globacom Limited and Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited, operators of 9mobile.

The suit, filed on November 4, 2026, is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2713/2026. The defendants are the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Inspector-General of Police.

The legal action followed summonses issued on October 29 by an ad hoc committee of the House on quality of service, directing the chief executives of the telecommunications companies to appear before it and submit relevant documents.

The telecom operators are asking the court to determine whether the National Assembly has the constitutional authority to investigate telecommunications service quality, which they maintain falls within the regulatory responsibilities of the NCC.

They argued that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution limit the investigative powers of the National Assembly to specific purposes, including assisting in lawmaking, exposing corruption, inefficiency and waste in the implementation of laws, and examining the administration of public funds appropriated by the legislature.

According to the plaintiffs, telecommunications companies are private business operators and do not fall within the constitutional provisions governing the execution or administration of laws or the management of public funds.

They also cited Sections 4, 70 and 105 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, alongside the Nigerian Communications (Quality of Service) Regulations, 2024, which empower the NCC to establish, monitor and enforce service quality standards in the industry.

The operators further argued that allowing the House to proceed with the investigation could undermine the commission’s statutory responsibilities.

They also expressed concern that the proposed legislative probe could interfere with two pending court cases concerning telecommunications service quality.

The cases are HCS/261/2025, instituted by Fatokunboh Fagun and another on behalf of themselves and MTN subscribers, and FHC/ABJ/CS/1886/2026, filed by Kaatruths Podcast Limited.

Among the reliefs sought, the telecommunications companies want the court to nullify the summonses issued by the House committee and restrain the lawmakers from enforcing them.

They are also seeking an order preventing the House from using arrest warrants or other enforcement measures to compel their chief executives to appear or submit documents.

Additionally, they want the court to stop the lawmakers from conducting investigations into telecommunications service quality where such investigations fall outside the constitutional provisions of Section 88(2) or interfere with the NCC’s statutory regulatory functions.

The suit has raised fresh questions about the extent of the National Assembly’s investigative powers and the boundaries between legislative oversight and the regulatory authority of government agencies.

The court is expected to determine whether the House’s proposed investigation falls within its constitutionally recognised powers.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives had earlier given MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other telecommunications operators seven days to explain the persistent poor network services experienced by subscribers nationwide.

The lawmakers warned that the chief executives of the affected companies could face arrest if they failed to honour the committee’s invitation.

The development comes amid growing public complaints over poor network coverage, dropped calls, slow internet connections and other service disruptions affecting telecommunications subscribers across Nigeria.

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