The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on Monday morning rejected the application for live transmission of proceedings as made by the petitioners in the court.
In a unanimous ruling on the interlocutory applications, the five-member panel of justices held that the request hinges on policy decision which can only be made by the judiciary.
Both the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi had separately argued that the live transmission of the proceedings had become necessary due to the public interest and concern generated by the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
And many Nigerians have keenly anticipated this ruling the moment the same Tribunal pasted notices all over the walls of the courtroom last Friday, banning the use of phones in court.
In the lead ruling by the chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani held that the applications lacked merit and ought to be dismissed.
The chairman observed that the applications, which were hinged on sections 36(3) and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution and Paragraph 19 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022, which borders on fair hearing, were outside the provisions of the concept and outside the claims brought by the petitioners for the determination of the court.
He said fair hearing involved hearing both partied and providing equal opportunity to present their cases before the court and not to dramatise the trial through installing cameras in the courtroom.
“The mere sentimental claim that it (live broadcast of proceedings) will benefit the voters has no utilitarian value on the matters before the court,” he said.
Justice said nobody could predict the implication of live broadcast of the proceedings, adding, “it is better for the avoidance of the trial by ordeal of live cameras in court.”
The Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting in Abuja has rejected application for live transmission of its proceedings.
Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of Labour Party had made the request, which was objected to by Bola Ahmed Tinubu (President-elect), All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).