The plea made by lawyers representing Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to have the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal proceedings broadcasted live has been rejected, News About Nigeria reports.
The justices of the tribunal ruled that the request for televised proceedings is irrelevant to the petition and lacks support from existing laws.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, who delivered the ruling, clarified that the constitution does not provide for televising court cases and that such powers are not vested in the tribunal.
He emphasized that the panel, acting as the PEPT, only possesses the authority to hear presidential cases.
The decision regarding televised proceedings falls under the purview of policy matters, which the court is not empowered to dictate.
Nevertheless, the justices do have the ability to enforce the broadcasting of proceedings if it ensures fair hearing and justice. Consequently, the motion requesting live broadcast was dismissed.
Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as the primary petitioners contesting the outcome of the presidential election, aimed to have the proceedings aired live to promote transparency and enable wider public access to the legal process.
Nevertheless, the tribunal’s ruling maintains the current practice of conducting hearings without live broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Tinubu and the APC have voiced their opposition to the consolidation of three separate petitions seeking to nullify the results of the 2023 presidential election, News About Nigeria reports.
Represented by his legal team led by Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN, Tinubu argued that merging the petitions would hinder his ability to adequately defend against the allegations raised by the petitioners.
Tinubu appealed to the court to exercise restraint in granting the consolidation order in the interest of justice, highlighting the different issues and relief sought by the petitioners.
