Federal High Court Begins Weekend Filing Of Political Cases

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

The development signals growing political tension and an anticipated surge in election-related litigation as parties, aspirants and stakeholders intensify preparations for the next electoral cycle.

The announcement was made on Thursday in Abuja by the Chief Registrar of the court, Yahaya Shafa, through an official statement titled, “Notice to Lawyers and the General Public.” According to the statement, court registries will now be open daily including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between 10:00am and 2:00pm exclusively for the filing of pre-election cases.

Shafa explained that the measure became necessary because of the constitutional and statutory time limits attached to election-related disputes.

“The Federal High Court of Nigeria formally notifies all legal practitioners that Registries in all Divisions of the Federal High Court would be open between 10:00am and 2:00pm Weekends and Public Holidays for Filing of Pre-Election Matters Only,” the statement read.

“This has become expedient to meet up with the limited time frame for filing pre-election matters,” he added.

The move comes as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections continue to gather momentum across the country, with multiple disputes already emerging from party primaries, candidate selections and interpretations of electoral guidelines.

Although the Independent National Electoral Commission has already released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, parts of the process remain under legal challenge in different courts.

Political observers say the court’s decision reflects expectations of a heavy influx of litigation as rival aspirants and political parties battle over nominations, delegate processes, consensus arrangements and qualification issues.

Legal analysts also believe the extension of filing operations could help prevent delays that often arise because of the strict constitutional deadlines governing election petitions and pre-election disputes.

The decision effectively places the Federal High Court on heightened electoral alert nearly two years before Nigerians head to the polls for another crucial general election.