INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu has received a petition from 4,817 individuals urging the Independent National Electoral Commission to refrain from holding elections on Saturdays. The petitioners, who identify as Seventh‑Day Sabbath keepers, argue that Saturday is a “critical day of worship and a date with God.” Initiated on Thursday by the Seventh‑Day Adventist Church in Nigeria via Change.org, the petition—titled “General Elections and the Religious Rights of Seventh‑Day Sabbath Keepers in Nigeria”—asks INEC to move the election calendar to any day between Monday and Thursday so that they can freely participate in the electoral process. This request comes less than 48 hours before the presidential and National Assembly elections, which are scheduled for Saturday.
The petition states: “As a nation, we have managed to live with these differences over the last 58 years. Like many other nations, we are still striving for unity in diversity, Nigeria being a multi‑ethnic and multi‑religious country. As responsible citizens, we call on all well‑meaning Nigerians to join our voice (Sabbath‑keepers) in keeping elections away from Saturdays, at least to guarantee the inalienable rights of members of our faith. We consider Saturday a date with God, yet we want to participate in our civic duties as patriotic citizens. In the spirit of fairness, this right should not be denied to us.”
In a separate development, the group Nigeria Indigenous Nationalities for Self‑Determination (NINAS) also called for the postponement of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections. At a press conference in Ilorin, Kwara State, NINAS spokesperson Dr. David Salami argued that meaningful development cannot be achieved under the current 1999 Constitution. He said, “For the past 20 years, NINAS has met with indigenous nationalities of the Middle Belt, Southern Nigeria (Yoruba), and Lower Niger Congress to devise a framework for restoring the sovereignty stolen from us by successive Nigerian governments since July 29, 1966. There should be no election under the 1999 Constitution. Voting in 2023 would lead to exponential regrets, surpassing the tumultuous eight years marked by economic hardship, terrorism, political brigandage, kidnappings, and systemic annihilation.”
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