Falana Supports Call For ‘Live Broadcast’ Of Presidential Election Tribunal Proceedings

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has supported the call to allow proceedings at the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal be broadcast live to Nigerians.

VerseNews Nigeria reports that Falana while speaking on “Channels TV Sunday Politics” said the judiciary should invite the media and members of the public to witness to proceedings.

He noted that allowing televising the proceedings will promote judicial transparency, credibility and also boost Nigerians trust in the judiciary.

He said; “I have always campaigned for that and that is the trend in Africa. In Ghana and Kenya, the proceedings are televised because judges should have nothing to hide. They should invite the media and the members of the public.”

“Once there is order in the court, everybody should be part of it. We are all part of the election and so the decision of the court on the election should not be shrouded in secrecy.”

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 “It is in the interest of our judges, and the public. And again, it enhances the credibility of the judiciary.”

“I am very sure that the suggestion will be seriously considered”

Also, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau (SAN) on Friday, March 24, 2023, said that a live telecast is in the interest of the Nigerian people, as Section 36 (1) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has already provided that judicial proceedings should be conducted in public.

“Providing public access to the proceedings would meet the aspirations of the public to participate in the process,” Maikyau said.

What you should know:

• The Court of Appeal has approved the request for the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi to serve his petition the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
• Obi is challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election that led to the declaration of Tinubu as the president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
• In his petition filed at the Presidential Election Tribunal, he has requested the Supreme court to declare him the President-Elect on the ground that he won the election or cancel the election and conduct a fresh one.