Police whisk away Channels TV cameraman from tribunal venue

THE ongoing hearing at the governorship election
petition tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State
capital, took another dimension, on Tuesday, when
the Channels television cameraman covering the
tribunal’s proceedings, Chinedu Madubuike, was
whisked away by a detachment of armed
policemen.
Trouble started for the cameraman when he
entered the court premises where the tribunal was
sitting and taking shots before proceeding to the
main court where the inspection of the electoral
materials used for the governorship election in the
state was ongoing.
It will be recalled that the tribunal had at its last
sitting ruled that the inspection of the electoral
materials used in the conduct of the governorship
election be jointly conducted by both parties.
It was gathered that on spotting the cameraman at
the tribunal’s proceeding, a forensic expert
believed to be engaged by the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) became furious and alerted the police
who whisked the cameraman to an unknown
destination.
Speaking on the ordeal of the cameraman, the state
Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA), Honourable Uche Nwosu,
expressed shock for such action to take place at
the courtroom.
A PDP stalwart, Anayo Nwakaodo, said that the
party was taking its time to sort out the materials
as it could not be done in a hurry.
As at the time of filing this report, no official
statement was issued by the police as to the
whereabouts of the cameraman.