Seventh Day Adventists lose bid to stop conduct of elections on Saturdays

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit that sought to prohibit the Federal Government and its agencies from conducting elections and examinations on Saturdays.

In a judgment yesterday, Justice James Omotosho held that the suit was absurd and wrongly premised.

The judgment was on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Elder Ugochukwu Uchenwa, who claimed to be a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Uchenwa had contended that the practice by Federal Government agencies of conducting elections and examinations on Saturdays was not only discriminatory to members of his church but also breached their right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

Listed as respondents to the suit are: the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Internal Affairs, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

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Others are: the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the National Examination Council (NECO), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Council of Legal Education (CLE), and the Minister of Education.

In dismissing the suit, the judge held that granting such an application would amount to opening the floodgate for similar religious organisations to seek to have their days of worship recognised as public holidays.

In faulting the premise of the case, Justice Omotosho said: “…Nigeria is a democratic society and the will of the majority will always trump the will of the minority.

“Furthermore, the decision to participate or not to participate in elections fixed for Saturdays by members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church is a personal choice as voting is not mandatory for any adult citizen of Nigeria.”