Court rejects Atiku, Obi's request for live coverage of petitions against Tinubu

Tribunal

Court rejects request for live coverage of petitions against Tinubu

The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, on Monday, turned down the request by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to allow its day-to-day proceedings on petitions seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, to be televised.

The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five member panel said the application for televised hearings lack merit.

The court held that no regulatory framework or policy direction, permitted it to grant such application.

It held that allowing cameras in the court room is a major judicial policy that must be supported by the law.

“The court can only be guided and act in accordance with the practice directions and procedures approved by the President of the Court of Appeal.

“We cannot permit a situation that may lead to dramatization of our proceedings,” Justice Tsammani held.

Besides, the court held that the request was not part of any relief in the petitions before it, saying it was merely hinged on sentimental claim that it would benefit the electorates.

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It maintained that the petitioners failed to establish how televising the proceedings would advance their case, adding that such live broadcast would not have any utilitarian value to add to the determination of the petitions.

It was candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the election, that initially made the request for a live coverage.

The request was later backed by candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.

The duo, through their lead lawyers, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, and Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, had argued that petitions they lodged to query the declaration of the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as winner of the election, was “a matter of monumental national concern and public interest”.

They argued that the case involved the interest of citizens and electorates in the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who he said voted and participated in the presidential poll.

However, the tribunal found the application feeble.

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