COURT ORDERS NCC, MTN, GLO , AIRTEL , ETISALAT AND VISAFONE TO PAY APC =N500MILLION

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Nigeria  has ordered Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC) to pay the All Progressives Congress(APC) the sum of 500million naira for unlawfully banning the party's platform for fundraising.

APC had sued the Nigerian Communications Commission together with  MTN Nigeria Limited, Globacom Limited, Airtel Nigeria Limited and Visafone Communications Limited  as co- defendants for discontinuing SMS platform it created for the purpose of getting donations from willing members of the public for its presidential campaign.

APC considered NCC's instruction to the five telecommunication companies as infringement on their fundamental rights.

APC argued that NCC did not give the same instructions to the five telecommunication outfits when rival party, PDP set up their own sms codes for fundraising for the Presidential Campaign.

In giving judgement, Justice Ibrahim Buba declared that APC was protected by the constitution to push for its fundamental rights when violated and threw out NCC's counter affidavit. Justice Ibrahim awarded 500 million naira to APC to be jointly paid by NCC and the five co-defendants.