CNPP back calls for live broadcast of tribunal’s proceedings

ongoing proceedings and high expectations by the electorates, it will also promote transparency in the court process in public interest.

The CNPP also reasoned that “there is no way the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and it's candidate in the presidential election, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will oppose a live broadcast of the tribunal’s sittings up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria where the matter will eventually terminate if any of the parties proceeds to appeal the tribunal’s verdict.”

Already, the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have aligned with the request by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for live broadcast of the proceedings of the presidential election petition court.

According to the CNPP, “it will be difficult to see INEC or the APC and its presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stand up to oppose the application for live broadcast of presidential election petition court's proceedings if INEC believes it did the right thing and the APC won fair and square.

“Moreover, objecting to the application will not be in the interest of any of the parties to the petitions and their supporters as a live broadcast is the best way to erase any possible misconception about the outcome and minimise dissemination of false information, especially on social media, which could lead to breach of the peace.

“Therefore, the tribunal granting the popular request will enable Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, who are interested in the outcome of the presidential election petitions, to follow the proceedings live and be better informed instead of relying on hearsay.

“The live broadcast has also become imperative because of the limited space in the court room to accommodate hundreds of thousands of Nigerians who would have been present in court to witness the proceedings firsthand”, the CNPP argued.

Orji Kalu says APC should consider inclusivity in zoning 10th NASS leadership

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu has charged the National Working Committee (NWC) of All Progressive Congress (APC) to consider inclusivity and fairness in distribution of leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Kalu made this plea when he spoke during a protest visit to the APC leadership, in company of other senators who are aspiring for the position of Senate President on June 13 election of 10th Senate President.

Explaining why APC did not perform well in the South East zone of the party, Kalu said “Vote is not a measurement. We had a hurricane in our zone. We need one another and not the level of votes cast.

“Those who did not vote for the party today can vote for the party tomorrow if they are properly aligned. After all, we have made progress. Before we used to be one or two senators, but it is no longer so. This thing did not only happen in the Southeast.

“Many people from areas where the presidential candidates came from, voted along certain lines. I appeal to you people that you must cede something very reasonable to the South East.”

Kalu said what happened was that there was a presidential candidate from the southeast and the entire people of the area decided in a certain direction, adding “if we look at the election, it was not only in the Southeast that things happened, every part of the country had problems with voting.”

He expressed joy that the National Chairman, the Deputy National Chairman, the National Secretary are former senators, saying “they (senators) can promise you everything and you know we are going to do a secret ballot on the floor of the senate. So, it is better we settle properly as 59 senators of the APC.”

“What you have done (zoning formula) does not look very nice. It is undemocratic, it is unconstitutional to put people’s names. The party should go back to the drawing board and rezone, not by name but by zones.

“It will not be right for our party, being a very big party, to be doing something that is unconstitutional. I believe all the 109 senators elected have what it takes to be Senate President. There is nobody that has been elected that cannot be Senate President”, Kalu said.