Election Tribunal shouldn’t be ‘like secret meeting,’ Onaiyekan backs live broadcast

The Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Abuja Archdiocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has backed the call for live broadcast of Presidential Election Petition Tribunal proceedings.

The cleric noted that the proceedings of the Election Tribunal should not be ‘like a secret meeting,’ because the voters needed to follow up on how their votes were being defended.

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Vanguard report that, Onaiyekan made this assertion while speaking in an interview with journalists after Mass to mark the end of this year’s 57th World Communication Week on Sunday.

He warned against the dangers of electoral malpractices saying that rather than the politicians, the masses feel the direct impact of a rigged election.

He claimed that because Jesus Christ was an effective communicator, he was the only one who could inform the Father of the outcome of his mission to reveal the Father to the world.He claimed that because Jesus Christ was an effective communicator, he was the only one who could inform the Father of the outcome of his mission to reveal the Father to the world.

It is also crucial that we communicate well, he said, adding that simply talking is not enough. Paul VI, the pope, was aware of this urgent need. As a result, he began holding the World Communication Day Celebration every year in 1967 which Catholics throughout the world consider a topic that emphasises communication and the media. Successive popes have continued the custom for the past 57 years.

As they report on the events leading up to the May 29th transfer, Onaiyekan urged the media to give voice to all factions.

Vanguard report that, He urged the judges in the PEPT to render decisions equitably and permit transparency in the court’s operations so that Nigerians can once again have faith in the legal system.

As journalists, you carry out your duties and report on everything, but you should also attempt to pay attention to everyone and inform the public of what is occurring because they want to see it.

“Even if they haven’t done it before, I pray that the Honourable Justices will find a solution. But they need to be prepared to act right away. In Nigeria, things have advanced to the point that we must now take new actions;

“Because if we continue to act in the same manner, it means that we want things to go on as they currently are, and we see that this is not benefiting us. Therefore, we must boldly take new actions and accept new things.”

Lukundu (
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