It’ll douse tension, promote transparency -CNPP
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, was at the election tribunal where his application for live broadcast of court proceedings was adjourned to May 18.
Atiku who is challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential poll alongside his political party arrived at the tribunal around 8:34 am acompanied by loyalists and friends, among them, Kogi Sate gubernatorial candidate of PDP, Senator Dino Melaye; former Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus; former Cross River Governor Senator Liyel Imoke; former Adamawa Governor, Boni Haruna, among others.
In the application dated May 5, Atiku and the PDP are praying the tribunal for an order directing the court’s registry and parties on modalities for admission of media practitioners and their equipment into the courtroom.
The application filed by their team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche is praying the court to allow live television of proceedings to enhance public confidence in the trail.
Their brief is predicated among other grounds that: “The matter before the Court is a dispute over the outcome of the presidential election held on 25th February 2023, a matter of national concern and public interest, involving citizens and voters in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who voted and participated in the said election; and the international community as regards the workings of Nigeria’s Electoral Process.”
They contended that being a unique electoral dispute with a peculiar constitutional dimension, it was a matter of public interest and that millions of Nigerian citizens and voters be allowed to follow the proceedings.
“An integral part of the constitutional duty of the court to hold proceedings in public is a discretion to allow public access to proceedings either physically or by electronic means. With the huge and tremendous technological advances and developments in Nigeria and beyond, including the current trend by this honorable court towards embracing electronic procedures, virtual hearing and electronic filing, a departure from the rules to allow a regulated televising of the proceedings in this matter is in consonance with the maxim that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. Televising court proceedings is not alien to this court, and will enhance public confidence.”
Abubakar Mahmoud, counsel to INEC, said the commission would file its response to the application seeking a live broadcast of the presidential election petition tribunal before the end of yesterday.
While ruling, Justice Haruna Tsammani said the application would be heard along with other applications by the respondents, including those seeking the dismissal of the joint petition by Atiku and PDP.
After listening to submissions of counsel, Justice Tsammani, acceded to the request and adjourned the petition to Thursday, May 18.
In a similar development, the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement(APM) was adjourned to Thursday, May 18 on similar circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) backed the call for live broadcast.
In a statement 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 live broadcast douse tension associated with the ongoing proceedings and high expectations by the electorates, it would also promote transparency in the court process in public interest.
“It will be difficult to see INEC or the APC and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, stand up to oppose the application for live broadcast of presidential election petition court’s proceedings if INEC believes it did the right thing and the APC won fair and square. Moreover, objecting to the application will not be in the interest of any of the parties to the petitions and their supporters as a live broadcast is the best way to erase any possible misconception about the outcome and minimise dissemination of false information, especially on social media, which could lead to breach of the peace. Therefore, the tribunal granting the popular request will enable Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, who are interested in the outcome of the presidential election petitions, to follow the proceedings live and be better informed instead of relying on hearsay.”
Already, Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have aligned with the request by Atiku and the PDP for live broadcast of proceedings of the presidential election petition court. (Daily Sun)
