A tribunal in Nigeria has refused to allow live television broadcasts of an opposition challenge to Bola Tinubu’s victory in February’s fiercely contested presidential election.

Lawyers for defeated candidates Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi argued that was in the public interest for the hearings to be broadcast live.

But fives judges unanimously turned down their request,

“The mere sentimental claim that it [live broadcasts] will benefit the voters has no utilitarian value on the matters before the court,” Justice Haruna Tsammani, who handed down the ruling, is quoted by Nigeria’s Daily Trust newspaper as saying.

The ruling is a victory for Mr Tinubu and the electoral commission as they argued against proceedings being broadcast live.

Mr Abubakar and Mr Obi are trying to annul Mr Tinubu’s victory, alleging that the poll was marred by irregularities.

Mr Tinubu and the electoral commission say the result was credible, even if there were glitches in uploading results on the commission’s website.

Mr Tunibu was declared the winner with 37% of the vote, while Mr Abubakar polled 29% and Mr Obi 25%.