The Presidential Election Petition Court (PETC) had commenced pre-hearing sitting on various petitions challenging the declaration of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the presidential poll, on Monday, May 8.
The request for a live broadcast of the Presidential Election Tribunal is gathering momentum with more groups endorsing the idea, which they adjudged to be the right move.
The NN News conducted a poll May 6, titled “Do you think televising the Presidential Election Tribunal is helpful”?
Total voters: 577.
Final results regarding the poll question:
Voters considering that televising the Presidential Election Tribunal is helpful: 98.61%
Voters considering that televising the Presidential Election Tribunal is NOT helpful: 0.87%
Not decided voters: 0.52%
Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi has requested for a live broadcast of the court proceedings.
The Labour Party (LP) and its Presidential candidate, Peter Obi had thrown their support to the request by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar for live broadcast of the proceedings of the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja.
Counsel to the Labour Party and its Presidential candidate, Dr Livy Uzuokwu (SAN) made this known on Wednesday while speaking with newsmen after the court had adjourned the pre-hearing session in their petition challenging the election of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, to May 17.
Uzoukwu said it has become imperative to have the proceedings covered so that Nigerians will have first-hand information on what goes on at the Court and will clear doubt in the minds of Nigerians.
He said live broadcast of court proceedings was initiated by colonial masters but jettisoned when Nigeria got its independence.
He said, with the realities on ground, live broadcast of court proceedings has become imperative and that Obi and the Labour Party are in support of the request by Atiku and his party.
For instance, he said the courtroom cannot conveniently accommodate 200 people and the 200 people cannot adequately represent Nigerians, adding that if the proceedings are broadcast live, Nigerian will be better informed.
During the hearing of the motion on notice by Atiku and the PDP, Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr. Obi will be fully in support.
It could be recalled that the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have filed an application for an order to allow live coverage of day-to-day proceedings on the case they brought against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
Atiku, who came second in the presidential election that held on February 25, in the motion he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, specifically applied for; “An order, directing the Court’s Registry and the parties on modalities for admission of Media Practitioners and their Equipment’s into the courtroom”.
The PDP candidate and former Vice President contended that the petition he lodged against the President-elect, was “a matter of national concern and public interest”.
He argued that the case involved 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.
More so, he drew attention of the court to the fact that the International Community is equally interested on issues pertaining to Nigeria’s electoral process.
Atiku and the PDP insisted that their case against Tinubu, being a unique electoral dispute with a peculiar constitutional dimension, they said it was a matter of public interest in which millions of Nigerian citizens and voters are stakeholders, with the constitutional right to be part of the proceedings.
Also, several integrity groups have joined in the call for the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwola, to introduce an open judicial process towards determining the successful outcome.
In a statement issued by an election monitoring group under the aegis of Election Hub, an open judicial process should be introduced to ensure good conduct of all concerned including Judges and political parties, who are expected to uphold values of neutrality and fairness towards saving Nigeria’s democracy.
The Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) is the latest among the numbers which have thrown its weight behind the call.
In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, the umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in the country, noted that not only will the live broadcast douse tension associated with the ongoing proceedings and high expectations by the electorates, it will also promote transparency in the court process in the public interest.
Meanwhile, Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president-elect has told the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja that he will respond to Atiku Abubakar’s request for proceedings to be broadcast live.
The tribunal then adjourned till Thursday to enable him respond to the application seeking an order to allow live coverage of day-to-day proceedings on petitions seeking to nullify his election.
