2027: Federal High Court Commences Weekend Hearings On Pre-Election Cases

The Federal High Court of Nigeria has announced that its registries in all divisions nationwide will now operate on weekends and public holidays for the filing of pre-election cases ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The development was disclosed in an official notice issued by the Chief Registrar of the court, Yahaya Yakubu Shafa, on Thursday. According to the statement, the decision was taken to address the strict timelines attached to pre-election matters as stipulated under the country’s electoral laws.

The notice explained that court registries would be open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays exclusively for the processing and filing of pre-election cases.

Court authorities noted that the measure became necessary to ensure timely handling of election-related disputes before the commencement of the 2027 polls.

The directive, which takes immediate effect, applies across all divisions of the Federal High Court in the country.

Reports indicate that the Federal High Court holds exclusive jurisdiction over pre-election matters under the Electoral Act 2026, making it the only court empowered to entertain such filings nationwide.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier scheduled the 2027 general elections to hold between January and February.