The Federal High Court has amended its 2026 Pre-Election Practice Directions, introducing fresh measures that empower judges to conduct virtual hearings, transfer pre-election cases across judicial divisions, and keep court registries open on weekends and public holidays for the filing of election-related suits.
The amendments, issued by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, take effect from July 14, barely three weeks after the original Practice Directions came into force on June 26.
Announcing the development in a statement on Wednesday, the court’s Director of Information, Dr Catherine Christopher, said the amended Practice Directions were issued pursuant to Sections 254 and 285(9), (10) and (14) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sections 29(5) and 88(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and other enabling laws.
She said the amendment was aimed at enhancing “the speedy, efficient, and fair determination of pre-election matters in keeping with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2026, and other applicable laws.”
A review of the amended document shows that while the earlier Practice Directions focused mainly on strict timelines for hearing pre-election disputes, limiting adjournments and curbing interlocutory applications, the new version significantly broadens the court’s administrative and technological powers ahead of the 2027 general elections.
