2019 elections: SDA Church alleges disenfranchisement of over 250,000 members

Seventh-Day Adventist Church, SDA, owners of Babcock and Clifford Universities has alleged a disenfranchisement of 270,000 of its members during elections in Nigeria.

Speaking at a press conference which came on the heels of a maiden Convention of Adventist Men’ Organization, AMO in the Northern Nigeria Union Conference of the Church in Abuja, the President, Pastor Freeman Dariya said that also stated that it was against the letters of the Bible and the religious liberty as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) to conduct mandatory university entrance examinations on Saturdays.

He said that many of their children within the school age had been deprived of admission into various universities by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB for fixing the entrance examinations on Saturdays.

He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to adopt measures that would enable the members to vote during elections.

Pastor Dariye was flanked at the briefing by some pastors and other church workers among whom were Pastor Yohanna Harry (Executive Secretary, Northern Nigeria Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church),

Pastor Micah Nasamu (President, North Central Nigeria Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church), Pastor Amos Katia (Executive Secretary, North Central Nigeria Conference, and Elder Emmanuel Ogbonna (Director, Adventist Men’s Organization, Northern Nigeria Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist Church).

He said: “The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a major Christian Denomination with a significant presence in Nigeria with over 278,000 population.

“We worship on Saturdays not for personal reasons but Biblical, which are founded in the scripture and dates back to creation (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8).