Why Court of Appeal agree to show presidential election judgement live on television

Nigeria Court of Appeal say dem go deliver di judgement of di 2023 presidential election petitions on Wednesday 6 September.

To promote transparency and openness, di appeal court say dem go show di judgement on live television of any station wey dey interested, so pipo go fit follow wetin dey happun.

Di decision of di court of Appeal to allow live broadcast of di judgement surprise many Nigerians.

For May di presidential election petition court bin refuse request for live broadcast of dia proceedings, saying di application by opposition parties lack merit.

At di time, di five-member panel of di court headed by Justice Haruna Tsammani, say Nigeria judicial policies and legislative framework no get place for live telecast of court sessions.

But di court of Appeal for dia statement on Monday emphasize on "openess" as di reason dem wan allow live telecast of di judgement.

Dem also add say, dem no go allow pipo enta di court compound anyhow.

Diafore, na only pipo including lawyers and representatives of political parties wey get accreditation go fit to enta di courtroom.

Labour Party (LP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and di Allied Peoples Movement (APM) togeda wit dia presidential candidates dem petition di court to cancel di election wey bring Bola Tinubu as president of Nigeria.

Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar bin tok say mago-mago full di election and say Tinubu no dey qualified to contest. Na 1 March, Inec bin declare Tinubu as winner of di presidential election wey take place on 25 February.

For di result wey Inec announce Tinubu get 8,794,726 votes, Atiku wey come second get 6,984,520, while Obi get 6,101,533 and Rabiu Kwankwaso of di NNPP get 1,496,687.

Di five-member presidential election petition tribunal begin dey sit for di Court of Appeal complex for Abuja on 8 May. Na Justice Haruna Tsammani dey lead di tribunal.

Less dan one week afta di panel begin proceedings, two political parties bin withdraw dia petitions for tribunal.

Solomon Okangbuan wey be presidential candidate for Action Alliance (AA) and di Action Peoples Party (APP) na di two candidates wey withdraw dia petitions.

Summary of presidential election petition tribunal

Wetin di two main petitioners, PDP and LP dey expect na say make di tribunal declare say Tinubu no be di winner of di election

Anoda petitioner, APM dey pray say make di tribunal disqualify di election of Tinubu sake of say APC no properly sponsor am and im Vice Kashim Shettima no withdraw im nomination as a senatorial candidate.

APM allege say APC bin nominate Shettima as Borno central senatorial district candidate and dem later nominate am as vice presidential candidate afta dem withdraw one Kabiru Masari.

Di aggrieved party tok say APC breach di electoral act sake of say dem engage in double nomination.

But Inec and APC say make di court dismiss di petition say e lack merit.

Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN wey represent Tinubu and Shettima argue say make dem dismiss APM petition.

Chairman of di tribunal, Justice Tsammani, later adjourn di judgment.

Obi and LP dey also pray make di tribunal cancel di 2023 presidential election.

Na 13 witnesses di petitioners bin call bifor closing dia case on 23 June.

Di parties argue say Tinubu bin chop fine of $460,000 for one offence wey involve dishonesty, narcotics trafficking wey di United States District court sama am.

Dem also argue say Tinubu no win di majority of di votes cast for di election becos say im no win one-quarter of votes for FCT.

Ontop all of diz, di LP candidate and im party tell di court to declare him president-elect becos im believe say na im score di majority of di votes during di election.

Im dey also ask di court to nullify di entire election and order a fresh election sake of say Tinubu no dey qualify to contest as president.

On 1 August Inec legal team led by Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN also ask make court dismiss di petition say e lack merit.

Atiku and di PDP argue say Inec oga Prof Mahmood Yakubu bin assure say di February 2023 general election go dey transparent, but di bypass and non-use of di BVAS machines to transmit data and results affect di integrity of di election.

But Inec no gree. Dia lawyer tok say di deployment of di BVAS and iREV during di election dey successful.

Chief Olanipekun add say Atiku no dey face election matter again but im dey attack Tinubu.

E also add say di nothing fit reduce di credibility of di electoral process sake of say di use of BVAS and iREV no fit affect election results.