Tribunal: Atiku, Melaye, Others In Court Over Application For Live Coverage
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is present in court as the presidential Election Petitions Tribunal is expected to hear his application for live coverage of proceedings.
Atiku had on May 8 filed an application for an order to allow the live coverage of the daily court proceedings on the case they brought against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, which started on Monday.
Arriving at the Court of Appeal Abuja, the venue for the tribunal sitting on Thursday, the former Vice President is accompanied by a former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke; a former governor of Adamawa State, Bonny Haruna, a former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, and former PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, among other dignitaries.
Also present at the pre-hearing is the party’s governorship candidate in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye.
Atiku Abubakar/PDP through his counsel, Chris Uche tells the court that all parties in the suit have met and constituted a team to harmonise and streamline vital areas and components of the pre-hearing session.
The first of the areas resolved by the counsels is on documents to be tendered to eliminate objections while tendering them from the bar and during the hearing and they have prepared a schedule of documents to facilitate that.
The second item is the issue of trial; the petitioners say they filed theirs on 11 May and served on parties.
With respect to the motion for live coverage of proceedings, Uche said he is yet to receive a response from the respondents.
Responding, counsels to the President-Elect and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said they were served on Tuesday, but assured the court that their responses will be ready between Monday and Tuesday next week.
All the parties also agreed to be back on Thursday, May 18 for the continuation of the pre-hearing of the applications.
Channels Television reports that the Tribunal will also hear the application by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the February 25 presidential election.