The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar requested that the proceedings of his appeal challenging the announcement of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election be live-streamed, but the Presidential Election appeal Court denied his request.
The Court held that the request was a novel and not supported with any law in the country for now.
The panel’s unanimous ruling was issued by the chairman of the court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, who stated that the request had no basis in the petition Atiku had submitted to the court.
Justice Tsammani further stated that the motion should not be granted at this time because it could transform the court into a stadium or market square.
Besides, Justice Tsammani held that granting live telecast of the proceedings of the petition would not add any totalitarian value to the petition.
Justice Tsammani finally held that the petition was without merit and subsequently dismissed it.
Atiku had approached the court hearing his case against the outcome of the February 25 presidential polls for an order allowing live broadcast of the day to day proceedings regarding his petition because of its monumental importance.
Atiku and the PDP, in the application, specifically prayed 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.”
