Supreme Court approves live streaming of decision of Atiku and Obi’s appeals
By Nnochiri Ikechukwu ABUGAS: In a historic decision, the Supreme Court approved the broadcast of its ruling in the legal battle that followed the nation’s February 25 presidential election on Thursday. Barely 15 minutes before the seven-member panel headed by Justice Inyang Okoro was supposed to begin delivering the verdict at 9 a.m., the supreme court approved live streaming of the proceedings.
The Federal Capital Territory, or FCT, Abuja, is home to the Supreme Court, which is heavily guarded and situated inside the Three-Arm Zone. Every entrance to the court is guarded by heavily armed security personnel, and security trucks have blocked all main access points. Court officials and security personnel checked everyone entering the premises from the front entrance using lengthy lists; those whose names were missing from the accreditation list were asked to turn around.
Likewise, everyone entering inside the court hall were mandated to pass through a security van for scanning. Among those already in court for the judgement, are the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, his counterparts from the Labour Party, LP, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Julius Abure and Umar Damagun, respectively, as well as President Tinubu’s son, Seyi. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on March 1, announced that Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, won the presidential contest, ahead of 17 other candidates that participated in the poll.