Church Loses Bid To Stop Conduct Of Elections, Examinations On Saturdays

Justice James Kolawole Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja, has dismissed a suit filed by a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church of Nigeria, Ugochukwu Uchenwa, seeking the prohibition of the conduct of elections and examinations on Saturdays in Nigeria.

The suit, filed against the Federal Government was thrown out by the court on ground that it was frivolous, vexatious, irritating and baseless.

The church had claimed that Saturday is its Sabbath day of worship and that the fundamental rights of its members are being brutally breached by the conduct of elections and examinations on Saturdays.

The plaintiff then sought order of the Court to prohibit the Federal Government of Nigeria from further conducting elections and examinations on the Sabbath day so as to stop disruption of their rights to worship.

However, Justice Omotoso, in his judgment on Wednesday, held that the fundamental rights being claimed by the church were not at large and cannot be curtailed by government policy.

Besides, the Judge held that the Seventh Day Adventist Church is in the minority in Nigeria and cannot impose its doctrine on the majority of other religious denominations in the country.