Court Rejects Lawsuit Aimed at Preventing Saturday Elections and Examinations

A Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown out a case brought by a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ugochukwu Uchenwa. He wanted to stop elections and exams from happening on Saturdays, arguing it infringed on his and other church members’ right to worship.

Uchenwa believed that holding these events on Saturdays went against his religious freedoms. He asked the court to declare it unconstitutional and to let him and his fellow church members vote or take exams on other days, like Sundays.

The case named several defendants, including government officials and exam boards. But in his ruling, Justice James Omotosho said the lawsuit was unfounded. He explained that while Uchenwa’s rights were important, they couldn’t override government policies. Omotosho noted that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is a minority in Nigeria, and its practices can’t dictate national policies.

After the ruling, Uchenwa’s lawyer, Benjamin Ahaemefule, announced they would appeal the decision. He acknowledged some small victories in the case but disagreed with the main outcome. Ahaemefule argued that the court misunderstood the significance of protecting minority rights and vowed to continue the legal battle at the appellate level.