Seventh Day Adventist Church has said the conduct of elections on Saturdays has been impeding and depriving many of its followers from participating in electoral process, because the church recognized Saturday as its Sabbath day.
The Church appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to consider its request that it should stop conducting elections on Saturday, to enable its members exercise its franchise.
The President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Western Nigeria Union, Pastor Oyeleke Owolabi, said these in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday during a press conference heralding its five-day 2016 Men’s Organisation National Convention commencing today in Ekiti State.
Expressing displeasure at how his members were being disenfranchised during every successive election in the country, because of their religious beliefs.
The Cleric said: “We are not feeling comfortable because we are being disenfranchised. We have written many letters to INEC on the need to shift elections from Saturday and I know that it will accede to the request one day.
“We have seen a situation whereby a gubernatorial election was conducted in the country on Tuesday and I think the country recorded the highest turnout in history, so we are begging the INEC to put the interest of our people at heart,” he said.
Owolabi also disclosed that the Church has finalised arrangement to established College of Medical Sciences in Otun-Ekiti, in the Northern part of Ekiti State.
The Church appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to consider its request that it should stop conducting elections on Saturday, to enable its members exercise its franchise.
The President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Western Nigeria Union, Pastor Oyeleke Owolabi, said these in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday during a press conference heralding its five-day 2016 Men’s Organisation National Convention commencing today in Ekiti State.
Expressing displeasure at how his members were being disenfranchised during every successive election in the country, because of their religious beliefs.
The Cleric said: “We are not feeling comfortable because we are being disenfranchised. We have written many letters to INEC on the need to shift elections from Saturday and I know that it will accede to the request one day.
“We have seen a situation whereby a gubernatorial election was conducted in the country on Tuesday and I think the country recorded the highest turnout in history, so we are begging the INEC to put the interest of our people at heart,” he said.
Owolabi also disclosed that the Church has finalised arrangement to established College of Medical Sciences in Otun-Ekiti, in the Northern part of Ekiti State.