The Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) has declined President Akufo-Addo’s plea for their participation in the upcoming 2024 general elections. The church has affirmed its stance to refrain from voting in the general elections scheduled to take place on a Saturday. It insists that holding the general elections on December 7, which falls on a Saturday, contradictst heir observance of the Sabbath. The SDA Church observes the Sabbath from the onset of Friday evening until the sunset of Saturday evening.
According to the church, the adherence to the Sabbath prohibits them from partaking in any secular activities, such as voting. The church had previously requested the Electoral Commission (EC) to contemplate rescheduling the election day from Saturday to align with their religious beliefs, yet the EC has not complied.
The church contended that relocating the election day to a non-religious day would enable all individuals, irrespective of their faith, to actively engage in the democratic process. The church implored all its members to ensure that their choice on December 7, 2024, aligns with the Adventist conviction in the scredness of the Sabbath.
The Member of Parliament representing Abetifi, Bryan Acheampong, has urged the Electoral Commission to allow Seventh-Day Adventist Church members to be included in the special voting list. He contended that since December 7, 2024, coincides with a Saturday, it would disenfranchise the approximately 800,000 SDA members, whose beliefs prohibit them from participating in any activities, including voting, on Saturdays.
In a statement on X, the Minister of Agriculture urged the citizens of Ghana to unite in urging the Electoral Commission to implement the necessary measures to prevent the disenfranchisement of the entire Christian sector. YEN.com.gh also disclosed that the Electoral Commission is contemplating the possibility of rescheduling the general election date from December 7 to November 7.
Additionally, the commission is advocating for election days to be officially recognized as national holidays, with the objective of enhancing the electoral process. These propositions were tabled during a meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) on Monday, January 22, 2024.
