The Supreme Court on Thursday warned legal practitioners as well as Nigerians against “media trial” on matters before the courts.
Justice Inyang Okoro issued the warning while delivering the lead judgment on appeals seeking to overturn the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Atiku Abubakar, 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, had appealed the judgment of the tribunal at the apex court.
Okoro, while delivering the verdict condemned the trend of litigants holding press conferences, “analysing the case and reaching a conclusion.”
He added that this has led to “some of their followers sending threatening messages to judges and justices.”
READ ALSO: IPOB: Court Orders FG, Southeast Govs To Apologize, Pay Nnamdi Kanu N8bn
The justice warned that litigants must desist from media trial, adding that “a word is enough for the wise”.
“Litigants are advised to trust the court whenever their matters are before it.
“It is very unbecoming these days that while a matter is pending in court, litigants engage in press conferences, analysing the case and reaching a conclusion.
“Based on these, some of their followers send threatening messages to judges and justices. Matters in court are said to be subjudice, and parties and their counsels must refrain from media trial and judgment.
“Need not say more on this, and a word is enough for the wise. This issue has nothing positive to offer the appellants,” he said.
Recall that the Court dismissed Abubakar and Obi’s appeals and upheld the emergence of Tinubu as President as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
