In a move that has raised concerns about transparency and press freedom, the Department of State Services (DSS) has prohibited journalists from covering the Sokoto State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s Judgment.
The DSS operatives, claiming to act on orders from higher authorities, have only allowed journalists from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and state-owned media outlets to enter the courtroom at the High Court where the ruling is currently underway.
The March 18 election saw Governor Ahmad Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) declared as the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sa’idu Umar, petitioned the tribunal, raising allegations of non-qualification and electoral fraud against Aliyu.
Justice Haruna Mshelia, who is leading the three-member panel of judges, presides over the tribunal.
