Nigeria’s biggest telecom operators have gone to court to challenge the House of Representatives’ power to investigate network quality in the country.
The Association of Licenced Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), MTN Nigeria, Airtel Networks, Globacom, and Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services (T2 Mobile) filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 4, 2026.
The operators want the court to interpret Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, which cover the National Assembly’s investigative powers. They argue that these powers are limited to lawmaking and to exposing waste or corruption in how laws and public funds are managed. In their view, private companies that neither administer such laws nor handle appropriated money fall outside that scope.
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The operators also say the probe overlaps with the work of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the body that sets and enforces service standards under the Nigerian Communications Act and the 2024 Quality of Service Regulations.
The suit followed a summons issued in October ordering the chief executives of telcos in the country to appear before a House committee. The operators want the summons declared unconstitutional and want lawmakers barred from enforcing them or issuing arrest warrants.
However, the lawmakers argue that regulation by the NCC does not shield operators from scrutiny. Lawmakers insist each company holds its own licence and must answer for itself and refuse to hear ALTON in place of the executives.
The dispute grew out of complaints over dropped calls, weak network connectivity and failed transactions. The committee first invited the executives on October 21. They skipped an October 28 hearing, after which lawmakers threatened arrest warrants. ALTON also reportedly sued over a similar issue in 2018, and that case is still pending.
Last updated: November 9, 2026
