The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have all objected to the request of former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, for the live telecast of his petition challenging Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.
In separate objections on Thursday, the trio stated that granting Atiku’s request would put the solemn nature of the court in jeopardy.
Tinubu, who was represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, raised vehement objections and said that Atiku’s request was not only surprising but also dangerous, as it could prejudice the court itself. Olanipekun argued that the court should not be turned into a football stadium, a crusade ground, a theatre, or film grounds where all manners of telecast could be permitted.
The senior lawyer argued that the court should not grant an order that cannot be enforced or supervised, adding that the present moment is not the best time for such a request to be granted. Additionally, he warned that the request, if granted, could expose judicial officers to avoidable dangers and called for high costs to be imposed on Atiku for making the request.
On behalf of APC, Lateef Fagbemi SAN opposed the request, stating that the facility and policy documents are not there for the application to be granted. He added that Atiku failed to disclose injuries he would suffer if the request was not granted, and nobody, including Atiku, had complained of inadequate coverage of the proceedings so far. Fagbemi concluded that Atiku did not deserve to be granted the request.
The electoral body, represented by Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud SAN, also objected to the request, stating that the courtroom is for serious business and not a marketplace where anything goes, adding that the request for live coverage is unnecessary and uncalled for.
Meanwhile, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, Chairman of the court, has reserved ruling on whether to grant the request or not.
Atiku had approached the court hearing his case against the outcome of the February 25 presidential polls for an order allowing the live broadcast of the day-to-day proceedings regarding his petition because of its monumental importance.
The application filed on their behalf by their team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, is predicated, amongst other grounds, on the fact that the matter before the Honourable Court is a dispute over the outcome of the Presidential Election held on February 25, 2023, which is a matter of national concern and public interest.
Atiku and the PDP argue that being a unique electoral dispute with a peculiar constitutional dimension, it is a matter of public interest where millions of Nigerian citizens and voters are stakeholders with a constitutional right to receive.
In conclusion, the court’s ruling will determine whether Atiku’s request will be granted or not.
