The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have filed an application for an order to allow live coverage of day-to-day proceedings on the case they brought against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
CHECKPOINTCHARLEY reported that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal will begin hearing the petitions today (Monday).
Atiku, who came second in the presidential election held on February 25, in the motion through his team of lawyers led by Chris Uche, SAN, specifically applied 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 PDP candidate and former Vice President argued that the petition he lodged against the President-elect, was “a matter of national concern and public interest.”
According to him, the case involved citizens and the electorate in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who he said voted and participated in the presidential poll.
He added that the International Community was equally interested in issues pertaining to Nigeria’s electoral process.
Atiku and PDP in the motion argued that their case against Tinubu, being a unique electoral dispute with a peculiar constitutional dimension, was a matter of public interest in which millions of Nigerian citizens and voters, who are stakeholders, with the constitutional right to be part of the proceedings.
They are contending that, “With the huge and tremendous technological advances and developments in Nigeria and beyond, including the current trend by this court towards embracing electronic procedures, virtual hearing and electronic filing, a departure from the rules to allow a regulated televising of the proceedings in this matter is in consonance with the maxim that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done.
“Televising court proceedings is not alien to this court, and will enhance public confidence.”
CHECKPOINTCHARLEY 