The Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja has reserved ruling in the application filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his party requesting for a live broadcast of the proceedings.
A five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani arrived at the decision after the motion was argued both in favour and against by the petitioners and the respondents.
Arguing on behalf of Atiku and PDP, Chris Uche urged the panel to make an order to allow the court proceedings be transmitted live in real time.
He maintained that allowing a live broadcast of the hearing will make Nigerians outside the court to be part of the proceedings.
Uche also argued that the live transmission of the hearing will help enrich Nigeria’s legal jurisprudence.
But the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC); the President-elect, Bola Tinubu and his political party, All Progressives Congress (APC), all urged the court to dismiss the application.
They equally submitted that the court room is not a soapbox, stadium or an arena for public entertainment.
Counsel for Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun further asked the court to dismiss the application and award a cost against the petitioners for what he called a frivolous motion.
In the application filed by Atiku and his Party, PDP, is specifically asking the tribunal for an order Directing the Court’s Registry and the parties on modalities for admission of Media Practitioners and their Equipment into the courtroom.
The tribunal has also reserved for ruling some applications filed by the Allied Peoples Movement against the president elect Bola Tinubu.
