Not ‘stadium or crusade’: Tinubu opposes election hearing broadcast

Bola Tinubu has opposed the live broadcast of proceedings at the presidential election tribunal hearing petitions against his emergence as Nigeria’s president-elect.

– Key points to note

Mr Tinubu’s lawyer said the appeal court in Abuja which is handling the cases should not grant the prayer of the two opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party, to broadcast the hearing in real time.

“My Lord, we are here for serious business, this is not a stadium or crusade ground. Even an Area Court cannot grant such prayers,” the lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, told the panel on Thursday, according to Premium Times.

He said with journalists present, there was no need to allow live transmission as the court may not be able to supervise how such approval is executed. He cited the practice in the United Kingdom where courts only allow sentencing in criminal cases to be broadcast.

– Why this matters

There is a swell of interest in the country in how the tribunal handle cases against the Feb. 25 presidential election. Opposition parties and many Nigerians say the poll was marred by violence and extensive rigging.

Mr Tinubu won in 12 states as the other two candidates, Atiku Abubakar of PDP and Peter Obi of LP. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party won in one state, Kano.

The election commission, Inec, announced the results without tallying them from its web platform IRev as promised, and independent collation of results by Premium Times and the BBC have shown that in at least one state, Rivers, the official result was manipulated. Inec dismissed the claim as “subjudice”.

– Learn more

The call for live broadcast was first made in March by the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikayu, who said the move will boost public confidence in the judiciary.

Chris Uche who represents the PDP in the case, on Thursday, told the tribunal live broadcast of proceedings should be allowed given the huge public attention in the matter.

Besides Mr Tinubu, Inec and the ruling All Progressives Congress also opposed the call.

The lawyer for the APC, Lateef Fagbemi, said the court should disallow a Big Brother Naija-type of live broadcast.

Abubakar Mahmoud, lawyer for Inec, said allowing the request would defeat the “solemn atmosphere” of the court.

“This application is unnecessary and uncalled for and we should be allowed to concentrate on business,” he said.