The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, has heard the application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to allow live broadcast of the ongoing election petition proceedings.
On Wednesday, May 17, PDP and Atiku through their counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, had prayed the court for an order allowing the live broadcast of the proceeding due to the importance of the case.
They argued that Nigerians being stakeholders have a right to have a real-time information about the election petition proceedings.
The respondents to this petition were; INEC, the president-elect Bola Tinubu and APC.
The respondents contended that the court is not a film house or a theatre but for serious and solemn business.
Counsel for APC, Lateef Fagbemi, asked the court not to concede the request to turn the court into a Big Brother electoral series.
“With much respect to the petitioners, the motion is an abuse of the processes of this honourable court,” the respondents stated.
They stated, that it is outside the PEPC’s jurisdiction as constituted.
“The application touches on the administrative functions, which are exclusively reserved for the President of the Court of Appeal.
“The application is aimed at dissipating the precious judicial time of this honourable court.
“The said application does not have any bearing with the petition filed by the petitioners before this honourable court.
“It is in the interest of justice for this honourable court to dismiss the said application filed by the petitioners,” they said.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal had meanwhile, been adjourned to Friday, May 19, 2023.
