JUST IN: Presidential Election Petition Court denies live transmission

On Monday in Abuja, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) dismissed the application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party for a live broadcast of court proceedings.

In a unanimous decision, the five-member panel held that the order sought by the petitioners lacked merit and was outside the scope of the petition.

The judges held that the televising of proceedings was not provided for in any law.

They held that the court was created by the constitution and operated under the law by the Court of Appeal.

“The court was created to hear and determine the petitions before it and cannot act as an avanguard.

“The undue pressure of allowing cameras into the courtroom should be avoided, as the impact it would have on witnesses cannot be predicted.

“The court is created to find out the truth and should be allowed to do so,” Justice Tsammani said.