President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has called on the Presidential Election Tribunal to reject the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s application for live broadcast of the proceedings. Tinubu stated that such live coverage of the tribunal’s proceedings is an abuse of the court process, and urged the tribunal not to allow it.
In a counter-affidavit filed by his counsel, Wole Olanipekun, the President-elect argued that the application was not within the tribunal’s jurisdiction, and stressed that the issue Atiku raised touched on policy formulation. He further added that the application “does not have any bearing with the petition filed by the petitioners before this honourable court,” and urged the court to dismiss it.
Tinubu also made reference to the fact that the court is not a rostrum or a soapbox, neither is it a stadium or theatre. He noted that the court is not an arena for public entertainment and the application aimed at dissipating the precious judicial time of this honourable court.
As the tribunal’s proceedings continue, it remains to be seen whether or not the tribunal will accept Atiku’s application.
