Nigeria, Nov. 30 -- In Nigeria's electoral litigation, time is a major deciding factor. The Constitution itself, under section 285 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), dictates how swiftly election-related cases must be filed and determined. Pre-election matters, for instance, must begin and end within 180 days. That rule, aimed at ensuring certainty and finality before election day, has made election litigation one of the most time-sensitive branches of Nigerian law.

To meet this constitutional demand for speed, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court issued the Federal High Court (Pre-Election) Practice Directions 2022. The key innovation being that every pre-election matter must be filed using an Originating Summons, a procedure d...