INEC, Tinubu, APC Opposes Atiku’s live broadcast application

The application by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to allow for the live televising of the ongoing election petition proceedings has been heard by the Presidential Election Petition Court on Thursday.

Parties to the petition adopted their processes and agreed that documents certified by the Independent Electoral Commission will be tendered without objections.

Chris Uche, SAN, the counsel to the PDP and Atiku had urged the court to grant an order which would allow the live broadcast of the proceeding due to the importance of the case.

In the petition, the petitioners argued that Nigerians being stakeholders have a right to have real-time information about the election petition proceedings.

All the respondents to the petition name which includes INEC, the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the All Progressives Congress vehemently opposed the application.

Also, they contended that the court is not a circus, a film house or a theatre but for serious and solemn business.

Lateef Fagbemi, counsel for APC, asked the court not to concede the request to turn the court into a Big Brother electoral series.

However, the court stood down for five minutes after hearing arguments from all parties.

Recall that on Wednesday, Tinubu, and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, urged the court to dismiss the application by Atiku and PDP for a live broadcast of proceedings.

They argued that the relief sought by the applicants are not such that the court could grant it.

The application also touches on the powers and jurisdiction invested in the President of the Court of Appeal by the Constitution, over which this honourable court as presently constituted cannot entertain. 

Also, they argued that the application is tailored towards dissipating the precious judicial time of the court noting that the said application does not have any bearing with the petition filed by the petitioners before the court.

“It is in the interest of justice for this honourable court to dismiss the said application filed by the petitioners,” they said.