The Federal High Court of Nigeria has issued practice directions to guide the hearing and determination of pre-election suits.
The practice direction, issued in the build- up to next year’s general elections, comes on heels of the broad policy on the handling of election-related matters issued by the National Judicial Council, NJC in May.
The NJC’s new policy, which focused on averting conflicting decisions from courts, contained rules on how heads of courts and judges must handle such suits already ruled upon by a court of coordinate jurisdiction.
In a circular dated July 7, signed by Assistant Director of Information, Catherine Christopher, Justice John Tsoho was quoted to have exercised his powers as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Tsoho, says “the purpose of the new practice direction is to provide for a fair, impartial and expeditious determination of pre-election cases”, among others.
The practice direction further explained that the new rules will minimise undue adjournments and delays in the conduct of matters and the Chief Judge may direct that matters be transferred to the appropriate division or any other division of the court considering the given circumstances.
The order is also to tame the endemic problem of conflicting court orders due to multiplicity of cases on similar issues, absence of a party in a suit will no longer be tolerated to prevent unnecessary delays as not more than two adjournments shall be granted to any party in a suit .
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
