By Abimbola 0gunnaike
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Monday, 22 May, 2023 dismissed the application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar; as well as the Labour Party and its Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi; to allow for a live broadcast of the court proceedings.
The five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani dismissed the requests which was made by the aggrieved parties and candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party as lacking in merit and rejected it.
According to the Tribunal, live streaming of court proceedings ought to be planned and budgeted for before the commencement of trial of any petition.
Having agreed that the request lacked merit in content and substance, the five Justices proceeded to dismiss it entirely.
The court held that allowing cameras in the courtroom is a major judicial policy that must be supported by the law.
However, according to the ruling, no regulatory framework or policy direction permitted it to grant the application.
“The court can only be guided and act in accordance with the practice directions and procedures approved by the President of the Court of Appeal,” the tribunal added.
