Presidential Election Petition Court has rejected the applications by the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, for live broadcast of the election petition hearings.
The court, in a ruling on Monday, said the application by the two candidates was lacking in merit.
Chairman of the court, Justice Haruna Tsammani, who delivered the judgement, said the reliefs sought are outside the substance of the petitions and equally outside the jurisdiction and competence of the election tribunal as the issue raised touches on policy formation.
According to the court, the application cannot permit a situation that will lead to the dramatization of its proceedings.
“Allowing camera is a major judicial policy which must be provided by rules of court, there is none yet. Avoidance of trial by ordeal of camera is better,” the court said.
“The application also touches on the powers and jurisdiction invested in the President of the Court of Appeal by the Constitution, over which this honourable court as presently constituted cannot entertain.
“The application touches on the administrative functions, which are exclusively reserved for the President of the Court of Appeal,” it said.
Atiku and Obi were praying the court to order live telecast of the court proceedings for transparency and more public awareness.
