Politics
Date fixed by court to announce judgment in suit seeking to stop polls on Saturdays
Plaintiff’s attorney, Mr. Benjamin Amaefule, informed the court during yesterday’s hearing that his client was merely asking for the enforcement of his basic rights to vote and free education.
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Amaefule stated that among other things, Uchenwa was requesting a ruling that his basic right to freedom of religion was violated by Nigeria’s election timetable, which takes place on Saturdays, the “Sabbath Day.”
“It also constitutes a transgression of the applicant’s and all Seventh-day Adventist Church of Nigeria members’ freedom of conscience, profession, and free exercise of faith,” he declared.
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church member Mr. Ugochukwu Uchenwa filed a lawsuit to have elections and exams held on Saturdays. On Wednesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja set March 20 for the court’s decision.
After hearing the reasons made by the solicitors for and against the suit, Justice James Omotosho set the date.
An senior in the church, Uchenwa filed the lawsuit, claiming that scheduling elections and tests for Saturdays infringed upon his and other churchgoers’ freedom to practise their religion as they saw fit.
His request is for the court to rule that scheduling exams and elections on Saturdays violates the constitution.
Alternatively, the plaintiff asked the court to compel the defendants to permit him and other churchgoers to cast ballots or take tests on any other day of the week, even on Sundays.
The President, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Minister of Internal Affairs are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The National Business and Technical Examination Board (NBTEB), the Council of Legal Education (CLE), the Ministry of Education, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examinations (JAMB), the National Examination Council (NECO), and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) are among the others.
Plaintiff’s attorney, Mr. Benjamin Amaefule, informed the court during yesterday’s hearing that his client was merely asking for the enforcement of his basic rights to vote and free education.
Amaefule stated that among other things, Uchenwa was requesting a ruling that his basic right to freedom of religion was violated by Nigeria’s election timetable, which takes place on Saturdays, the “Sabbath Day.”
“It also constitutes a transgression of the applicant’s and all Seventh-day Adventist Church of Nigeria members’ freedom of conscience, profession, and free exercise of faith,” he declared.