Court fit broadcast presidential election petition tribunal proceedings live?

Di Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) say dem want live broadcast of di proceedings of di 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

President of NBA, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau (SAN) say di live broadcast go be in di interest of openness, justice, transparency and trust in di judiciary.

Dis dey come afta di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party Peter Obi, Action Alliance Solomon Okangbuan and Allied Peoples Movement Chichi Ojei all file petitions wit di Presidential Election Tribunal on Tuesday 22 March.

According to Maikyau, access to di proceedings go meet di aspirations of di public to participate in di process.

Ogbonge lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) also tok say im support live broadcast of di proceeding and add say e don always campaign for dis kind tin.

E say for Ghana and Kenya, dem dey televise di proceedings and judges no suppose get anytin to hide.

“Invited di media, invite members of di public, if order dey court everybodi suppose dey part of am,” Falana tok.

Di ogbonge lawyer say sake of say everybodi dey part of di election, court no support take decision on di election for secret.

“I support di call by di President of di Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) say make court televise di proceeding. E dey in di interest of our judges, e dey in di interest of di public. Again, e dey e enhance di credibility of di judiciary. I dey very sure say di suggestion go dey considered,” Falana tok.

Wetin di law tok about live broadcast of election proceedings?

Ogbonge Nigerian lawyer Jiti Ogunye say di NBA president get right to make di request on behalf of di association but add say e no dey necessary sake of di negative consequences di live broadcast go cause even though e get some gains too.

According to Ogunye, di live broadcast go promote transparency in di judiciary but e go put di judges under pressure.

E tell BBC Pidgin say even though di Nigerian Constitution no specifically tok say make court telecast dia proceedings live, Section 36 of di constitution guarantee di right to fair hearing, public hearing, public trial and delivery of judgement in public.

Ogunye say live telecast go subject court proceedings to immediate review and attack and dis go affect di judges.

For 2018, di ogbonge lawyer bin write one article wey tok about di telecast of di judgement of di 2007 Presidential Election Tribunal wey uphold di victory of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Di delivery of judgements of di 2007 State Govnorship Election Petition Tribunals for Oyo, Ondo, among odas also enjoy live telecast and Ogunye tok say many regard di live broadcast as welcome innovation.

Ogunye say judges go dey psychological affected sake of say dem know say pipo dey watch dem live.

“I sincerely believe say to subject di proceedings to live telecast fit impact on di judges on psychological level,” Ogunye tok.

E say for dis digital age, di proceedings wey some media organisations go put for dia YouTube page go make pipo begin comment on di conduct of di judges and how lawyers argue dia case for court wen di case still dey go own.

Oguntoye say di feedback di judges go dey hear on social media about di case fit interfere wit di case.

E say di media dey dia already and no need for live telecast.

Wetin NBA fit do if court decline dia request?

Jiti Ogunye say if di court decline di Nigerian Bar Association request, make dem dey part of di proceeding by submitting five ogbonge lawyer to be part of di proceedings.

E say di lawyers fit dey part of di proceeding by participating as Amicus Curiae wey mean friend of di court.

E say di friends of di court go dey attend proceeding and dey observe wetin dey go on.

Amicus curiae na individual or organisation wey no dey party to legal case but dem dey permitted to assist court by offering information, expertise, or insight on di case.

E don happun before?

For 2008 , dem televise di proceeding from di trbunal wey sit on di case of

General Muhammadu Buhari and di ANPP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and

di AC challenging di election of di late President UMaru Musa Yar'adua.

But, na di only di judgment day dem broadcast live to di public.

Also, some states like Oyo, Ondo, Kogi and Edo States telecast di judegment live following di template wey don dey set for di presidential election trbunal.