The Seventh-Day Adventist Church Appeals to EC

The Seventh-Day Adventist Church is recommending a modification to the date of the general elections scheduled for December 7, 2024.

In a formal petition submitted to the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General, the church highlighted that the chosen date, falling on a Saturday, conflicts with the Sabbath—a sacred day dedicated to worship.

To address this concern, the church is proposing a shift to either the first (1st) or second (2nd) Tuesday of November as the new date for Ghana’s general elections. The church emphasizes the need for this adjustment to be legally codified, ensuring that Adventists have the freedom to observe their religious practices.

The proposal was initially presented to the Electoral Commission on June 7, 2023, during a meeting between the church leadership and the EC. James Kwabena Bomfeh, Deputy Head of Religious Liberty at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, justified the suggestion in an interview with Citi News. He explained that the revised date would allow ample time for the transition process and would also enable traditional worshippers, who typically refrain from farm work on Tuesdays, to actively participate in the elections.

Bomfeh emphasized that the proposed change, if accepted, would create a designated day—Tuesday—for traditional society members to engage in the electoral process, promoting a smoother transition between outgoing and incoming administrations.