The appeals court for the presidential election in Abuja on Monday denied its request to televise its daily proceedings on petitions to annul the results of the 2023 presidential election. .
Judge Haruna Tsamman’s five-member panel dismissed claims by the two leading candidates to challenge the election results, as lacking basis.
The Court ruled that there was no applicable policy or regulatory framework that would allow it to grant such a request. He said allowing cameras in courtrooms should have legal support as an important judicial policy.
Judge Tsammani said: “We cannot allow a situation that could lead to the dramatization of our proceedings. The court argued that the claim was not part of any relief in the lawsuits and was based solely on a public interest sentimental claim.
He also pointed out that the applicants had failed to demonstrate how televising the proceedings would benefit their case.
Naija News recalled that presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labor Party (LP) initially requested live coverage, claiming the incident was a “national matter” interest” and is of great public interest. “.
However, President-elect Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) asked the court to dismiss the claim, which they described as an abuse of process.
Tinubu and his elected vice president, Kashim Shettima, accused Atiku of trying to expose the justice system to public criticism. They argue that the court “is not a platform or a soap dispenser. Nor is it a stadium or a theater. It is not a public entertainment arena.
The APC, led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, told the court the presidential election was “not in the interest of the nation” and argued that the election had been well managed by INEC, with participation of millions of voters.
The APC also expressed concern that live coverage “will make court proceedings unnecessarily sensational and unwarranted on social media.”
The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) also objected to the televising of the proceedings.