Federal High Court issues new pre-election practice directions to fast-track electoral disputes

The Federal High Court of Nigeria has released new guidelines to accelerate the resolution of pre-election cases ahead of the upcoming polls.

Specifically, the Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, issued the Federal High Court (Pre-Election) Practice Directions, 2026, thereby repealing the 2022 version.

The announcement was contained in a statement dated 29 June 2026 by the court’s Director of Information, Dr Catherine Oby Christopher.

According to the statement, the new Practice Directions are designed to ensure the speedy, efficient and fair determination of pre-election matters.

The rules, the statement added, are aligned with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2026, and other relevant laws.

The statement also revealed that the directions apply to members of the Nigerian Bar, political parties, litigants and the general public involved in pre-election litigation.

It explained that pre-election matters typically include disputes over party primaries, candidate nominations, candidate substitutions and eligibility challenges filed before general elections.