The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled March 20 as the date for delivering judgement in a suit filed by Mr. Ugochukwu Uchenwa, a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The suit seeks to halt the conduct of elections and examinations on Saturdays.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date after hearing arguments from both the plaintiff and defendants’ counsels on Wednesday.
Uchenwa, who serves as an elder in the church, filed the suit on the grounds that scheduling elections and examinations on Saturdays infringed on his rights and those of other church members to freedom of worship.
In his plea to the court, Uchenwa seeks a declaration that conducting elections and examinations on Saturdays is unconstitutional.
Alternatively, he requests the court to compel the defendants to allow him and other church members to participate in these activities on any other day of the week, including Sundays.
The defendants named in the suit include the President, Attorney-General of the Federation, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Minister of Internal Affairs, Joint Admission and Matriculation Examinations (JAMB), National Examination Council (NECO), West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Business and Technical Examination Board, Council of Legal Education, and Ministry of Education.
Benjamin Amaefule, counsel to the plaintiff, emphasized that Uchenwa seeks to enforce his fundamental rights to freedom of education and worship.
Amaefule argued that holding elections and examinations on Saturdays violates his client’s rights and those of the entire Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria.
The plaintiff is seeking several reliefs from the court, including a declaration that scheduling examinations on Saturdays, which is considered the “Sabbath day,” is unconstitutional and a violation of his fundamental rights.
The outcome of this case is anticipated to have significant implications for the scheduling of elections and examinations in Nigeria, especially regarding the rights of individuals to practice their religious beliefs without undue interference.
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