The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC seating in Abuja has reserved rulling on the application by the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and the party seeking for a live broadcast of the court’s proceedings.
Justice Haruna Tsamani reserved the ruling after listening to arguments from counsels to the petitioners and respondents.
Atiku and his party are asking the court for the cancellation of the February 25, presidential election, claiming it was marred by electoral irregularities.
At the resumed pre-hearing on Thursday, counsel to Atiku Abubakar and PDP Mr.a Chris Uche moved an application seeking for live broadcast of the court’s proceedings.
He also seeks an order from the court for modalities of implementation of the live broadcast, urging the court to grant the application and dismiss the objection by the respondents.
Uche said, greater consideration needs to be accorded to the live broadcast of proceedings just as it was done during the OPUTA Panel.
He held that, since the election results were not directly transmitted, “live broadcast of proceedings be allowed in real-time for the benefit of Nigerians.
Counsel to INEC Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, while objecting to the live broadcast, urged the court to refuse it, saying, “Courts are public places and courtrooms are free for people to seat and hear proceedings.
“Even if the court wants to go on live streaming it should be a judicial process,” he said.
Also, Counsel to President-elect Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Wole Olanipekum, SAN, while arguing in opposition of the live broadcast said, the court was not a stadium or a crusade ground, nor a theatre that requires live streaming.
Olanipekum urged the court to dismiss the application stating that, Atiku and PDP ought not to have brought the application in the first instance.
Counsel to All Progressives Congress, APC Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, also opposed the application for the live broadcast of court proceedings, saying, “There is no policy documents on live broadcast of courts in Nigeria.”
He said, almost all media organizations are represented in the coverage of the election petition proceedings.
The court also heard the application by Allied People’s Movement APM.
The court adjourned to May 22 for continuation.
Confidence Okwuchi
