By Michael Ojo
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Tsoho has set guidelines for judges to hear pre-elections during the court’s foeth coming 60 day vacation.
The guidelines are contained in a Practice Direction (No 2, 2020) to all the 36 divisions of the court.
FHC The court’s Acting Information Officer, Oby Catherine Nwandu, said in a statement yesterday that the Practice Directions also took effect from last Friday.
It stated:
“1. These Practice Directions shall, save to the extent and as may otherwise be ordered by the Honourable Chief Judge, apply to all pre-election matters filed before the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
“2. Nothing in the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019 shall prevent a Judge of the Court from hearing a pre-election matter already pending before the Court, during the vacation period until judgement is delivered.
“3(i) No petition shall be entertained against a Judge of the Court hearing a pre-election matter, save from a party on record in such matter.
“(ii) Where a party on record petitions as in (i) above, such petition shall be accompanied by an affidavit verifying the contents of the petition.
“(iii) the party shall cause same to be served on the Judge and all parties on record, notwithstanding that the petition is addressed to the Honourable the Chief Judge of the Court.
“(iv) Where the petition is addressed to the Honourable, the Chief Judge, the proof of service of the advanced copies on all parties on record and the Judge concerned shall accompany the petition.”
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