Presidential election tribunal: Obi demands live broadcast of proceedings

The legal team of the Labour Party presidential candidate in the February 25 election has filed a motion at the election petitions tribunal for a televised proceeding.

Livy Ozoukwu, counsel to the petitioners (Obi and LP) announced the development on Wednesday while addressing newsmen after the presidential election court adjourned the hearing of the petition filed by him on behalf of his clients.

Obi and labour party are challenging the victory of President-elect, Bola Tinubu, at the tribunal.

Ozoukwu said he has filed a motion before the court seeking to have the proceeding televised.

“We are asking that the honourable court should allow live streaming or broadcasting of the proceedings of the court from day to day,” he said.

Recall that the court adjourned the petition filed by Obi and Labour Party for further pre-hearing.

The court had previously adjourned the case to Wednesday for continuation of the pre-hearing which commenced on Monday.

On Wednesday, Ozoukwu told the court that parties in the suit have agreed to seek for an adjournment to enable them to file and exchange processes.

Ozoukwu added that parties have also agreed to meet and decide on the documents that are not in contention and the ones that are controversial. He prayed the court to adjourn the case to May 17.

Consequently, the five-member panel of justices led by Haruna Tsammani granted the application.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists shortly after the court session,

Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has also filed a motion asking the court to televise its proceedings.

Obi and the LP filed a petition challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the election.

In the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023, LP and Obi, said Tinubu “was not duly elected by the majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election”.

Amongst other allegations, they claimed that Kashim Shettima, vice-president-elect, had a double nomination in contravention of the electoral act.

The petitioners are asking the tribunal to declare Obi the winner of the presidential poll or alternatively, order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election.