Presidential election petition update: Tribunal hear Atiku petition on live broadcast of proceedings

Di Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal don reserve ruling on di motion wey di Presidential candidate of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for di 2023 general elections Atiku Abubakar bring before di court sake of di 25 February Presidential election.

Dis na as di tribunal hear di application of di PDP presidential candidate to allow live coverage of di ongoing election petition proceedings.

Di motion wey di counsel to di Peoples Democratic Party, Chris Uche file dey pray di court to allow televising of di proceedings as e dey important to di kontri.

"I pray an order of di court to allow live broadcast of di proceedings sake of di importance of di case."

Di grounds na five in number and e get nine paragraphs affidavit to rely on."

Chris Uche make reference to 'Oputa panel' wey goment bin form to torchlight Human Rights Violations afta military rule for Nigeria and dem bin televise live for di 1999.

"Oputa panel bin dey and e bring lots of benefits to di nation. We beg you to use your discretion, na National issue wey evribody dey interested in.

E beg court say even do dem no transmit election results live make dem try transmit di proceedings for court.

"If dem no transmit election results at least make dem transmit di process. We no dey ask make dem show di faces of My Lords for screen, make dem transmit di process so dat evribody go watch am and learn."

All di respondents to di petition wey be di Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), di President-elect, Bola Tinubu and di All Progressives Congress APC, oppose di motion.

Counsel to Inec, Abubakar Moumoud tell di court say dem no need to televise di proceedings live as e don already dey for public .

E explain say di courtroom na public place and anybody wey wan watch di proceedings fit come court subject to di available of space.

"Livestreaming and bringing live cameras to court na different tins. To bring camera inside di courtroom go cause distraction and di court no be for theatrics.

Guidelines dey to regulate court.

We wan do our work for inside condition wey dey fair and wey we dey used to.

Make court refuse dis motion as e dey unnecessary and uncalled for," Oga Mahmoud tok.

Di Second Respondent wey be President-Elect, Tinubu Bola Ahmed thru im counsel Wole Olanipekun and di Third Respondent, All Progressives Congress thru dia Counsel Lateef Fagbemi tell court to dismiss di motion sharp sharp.

"Di court no be stadium, crusade ground, theatre or circus. We get plenti tori pipo hia wey dey represent different media houses wetin dem want again?." Wole tok

" Dis na di fifth time we dey conduct Presidential election since di 1999 constitution.

We neva hear any accuse say required coverage no dey, as required by law.

Difference dey between trial for di public and trial in public.

I don adopt 'trial in public'.

Gallery dey for anybody wey wan watch make dem come"

Dem argue say " For UK only four media houses dey allowed and dem dey delay for 10 seconds . For India na 10 minutes delay. We no get di facilities.

Make e start now and evri Govnorship, State House of Assembly tribunal go wan do di same tin.

Dis situation dey different from giving or delivering judgement.

We no dey subject to assessment by di public, very soon dem go bring am to my Lords.

I urge your Lordships to refuse Dis application.

Dem also raise di security concerns for di kontri wia dem tell di judges say no be good time.

Chairman of di Presidential Election Petition Court, Justice Haruna Tsamani reserve judgement and adjourn to 19 May, 2023 afta dem hear Peter Obi motion too, wey dey seek to televise court proceedings.

Justice Haruna say dem go rule on di mata on same day.