John Cardinal Onaiyekan, a retired catholic bishop of the Abuja Archdiocese, has backed the need for the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sessions to be televised live.
The cleric stated that since the voters had a right to know how their votes were being supported, the tribunal’s procedures shouldn’t be conducted in the same manner as a secret meeting.
Onaiyekan made this statement to the media on Sunday to commemorate the conclusion of the 57th World Communication Week. He did so after Mass.
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He issued a warning about the risks of electoral fraud, claiming that instead of the politicians, the general public is directly affected by a rigged election.
Onaiyekan continued by pleading with the judges to administer justice impartially and permit transparency in their proceedings so that Nigerians might once again have faith in the Judiciary.
He said, “As journalists, you do your job, cover everything, but try and listen to everybody and relay to the public what is happening because they want to see.
“Isn’t it why it is important the petition before the tribunal, the possibility that the tribunal should be available to all of us to be able to follow what is happening?
“For me, this is very important; one thing that Nigerians don’t seem to realize is that when elections are rigged, it is not the contestants or the politicians who are worst hit.
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“Those who are the most impacted are me and you, but as it stands, we don’t even have locus standi in court. We are the ones who should be complaining in court that my votes have been bastardized, but they tell me I cannot go to court because I did not contest the election.
“If we cannot go and make our case, at least let us see what is happening inside there. We believe that our honourable judges will do their best to make judgements that are correct, they do what is right.
“Everybody will see it and it will help to calm nerves, we will know that the right thing has been done.”
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