News

Court Fixes Date On Seventh Day Church’s Suit Seeking To Stop Saturday Elections, Exams

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2024

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed March 20 for judgment in a suit seeking to stop elections and examinations from being held on Saturdays in the country.

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court fixed the date on Wednesday after listening to the arguments for and against the suit.

The suit was instituted by an elder in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ugochukwu Uchenwa.

Listed as defendants in the suit are the President, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the Minister of Interior.

Others are the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examinations, the National Examination Council, the West African Examination Council, the National Business and Technical Examination Board, the Council of Legal Education, and the Ministry of Education.

The plaintiff told the court that fixing elections and examinations on Saturdays violated his rights and that of other members of the church to freedom of worship.

Uchenwa is praying the court to declare the fixing of elections and examinations on Saturdays as unconstitutional.

In the alternative, the plaintiff prayed the court to order the defendants to allow him and other members of his church to vote or sit for examinations on any other day of the week, including Sundays.

At Wednesday’s hearing, counsel for the plaintiff, Benjamin Amaefule, told the court that his client was only seeking an enforcement of his fundamental right to freedom of education and freedom to participate in elections.

He said, “Fixing examinations and elections on the Sabbath day of the Lord was also a violation of the right to freedom of education of the applicant and the members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Nigeria.

“It is a violation of the fundamental rights of freedom of conscience, profession, and free practice of faith of the members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Nigeria”.

The plaintiff also asked the court to make an order mandating the first and second respondents (the President and the AGF) to declare Saturdays as public holidays just the same way Sundays are public holidays.

Moreover, he insisted that Sunday was the first day of the week while Saturday was the seventh day of the week, hence the Sabbath day.

Responding on behalf of the President and the AGF, Maimuna Shiru told the court that she filed a 17-paragraph affidavit on behalf of her client in opposition to the suit.

She prayed the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.

On his part, counsel for WAEC, Friday Chorio, argued that Nigeria is a secular state.

According to Chorio, the constitution provides that Nigeria shall not adopt any religion as its own.

“In this circumstance, the plaintiff is seeking an interpretation of the law that Saturday should be fixed as a holy day for the Seventh-day Adventist church.

“We have so many laws that provide for holidays. Section 4 of the Public Holiday Act provides and declares Sunday as a public holiday so government activities cannot take place on Sundays.

“Anybody can adopt Sunday as his or her own holiday so you cannot come to court and ask the court to declare Saturday as a public holiday,” Chorio said.

For the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Safinat Lamidi told the court that she filed a preliminary objection praying the court to dismiss the suit as it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain it.

The Minister of Interior, INEC, NECO, National Business and Technical Board, Council for Legal Education, and the Ministry of Education were all absent in court as no counsel announced an appearance on their behalf.

News

Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.

Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.

The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.

They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.

The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.

In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.

The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.

The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.

According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.

However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

7 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.