The presidential election petition tribunal has dismissed the application of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), for live coverage of the proceedings.

Justice Haruna Tsammani, the lead justice of the tribunal, said the motion lacks merit because the broadcast live coverage of court hearings is not backed by the constitution.

The justices held that the matter is a policy issue, and that the tribunal lacks the authority to decide on it.

READ MORE: No Phones at Presidential Election Tribunal Raises Concerns About Live Coverage

Fears that the applications of Obi and Atiku could be rejected by the tribunal had been mounting since last week, when the secretary of the appellate court announced that phones and gadgets would be prohibited during court hearings, starting from this week.

The announcement sparked wild reactions on social media, with many saying the restriction on phones and gadgets had already signalled the tribunal’s position on live telecast.