The Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Abuja Archdiocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has backed calls for the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal proceedings to be broadcast live.
The clergyman argued that the tribunal’s proceedings should not be conducted in secret because voters have a right to know how their votes were defended.
Onaiyekan made the remarks after Mass on Sunday, which marked the end of the 57th World Communication Week.
He warned against the dangers of electoral malpractice, claiming that the masses, not politicians, bear the direct consequences of a rigged election.
Furthermore, Onaiyekan urged the judges to administer justice fairly and to make their proceedings transparent so that Nigerians can rekindle their faith in the judiciary.
He said;
As journalists, you do your job, cover everything, but try and listen to everybody and relay to the public what is happening because they want to see.
Isn’t it why it is important the petition before the tribunal, the possibility that the tribunal should be available to all of us to be able to follow what is happening?
For me, this is very important; one thing that Nigerians don’t seem to realize is that when elections are rigged, it is not the contestants or the politicians who are worst hit.
Those who are the most impacted are me and you, but as it stands, we don’t even have locus standi in court. We are the ones who should be complaining in court that my votes have been bastardized, but they tell me I cannot go to court because I did not contest the election.
If we cannot go and make our case, at least let us see what is happening inside there. We believe that our honourable judges will do their best to make judgements that are correct, they do what is right.
Everybody will see it and it will help to calm nerves, we will know that the right thing has been done.