Support constitutional amendment to fix election day to Tuesday – Asiedu Nketia urges SDA Church

Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called upon the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church and other religious organizations to back a proposed constitutional amendment in Ghana. The amendment would fix national elections on Tuesdays, according to Nketia, in an effort to avert disputes between political parties, the Electoral Commission (EC), and religious bodies over election dates clashing with significant religious worship days.

Addressing the SDA Church's centenary celebration in Sekyedumase, Ashanti Region, Nketia highlighted that both the SDA Church and the Saviour Church had previously urged him to support their requests for the EC to move the 2024 general elections from Saturday, a Sabbath day for Seventh-day Adventists. He also mentioned that similar concerns had been voiced by the Islamic community and other Christian denominations when election dates coincided with Fridays or Sundays, days of worship for certain religious groups.

Nketia emphasized that ongoing disagreements could be avoided if the Constitution was amended to permanently schedule national elections on Tuesdays. He urged the SDA Church and other religious bodies to support this proposal, stating that it would provide a permanent solution to the issue of election dates clashing with religious worship days. By fixing the voting day on a specific weekday, all religious groups would be able to observe their days of worship without being impacted by national elections.