2027 Elections: Federal High Court Opens Registries on Weekends, Public Holidays for Pre-Election Cases

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

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Chief Registrar of the court, Yahaya Shafa.

According to the statement, the decision became necessary in view of the constitutional and statutory timelines guiding the filing and determination of pre-election cases.

“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 on 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.”

The development comes as political parties across the country intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with several parties already conducting primaries for governorship, National Assembly and state assembly positions.

Legal experts say the move is expected to ease pressure on litigants and ensure timely handling of disputes arising from party primaries and other electoral processes ahead of the polls.