Andy Nana Owusu, a social analyst, has said that the fortunes of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) would be greatly impacted if the petition of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) for the election date for the 2024 general elections be changed from Saturday, December 7, 2024, because it is their Sabbath Day, is not accepted.

According to him, the NPP would be greatly affected and are likely to lose the elections because majority of SDA members are found in their strongholds and if they should religiously stick to the rules of the Sabbath, the votes of the party in the elections would be greatly impacted.

Nana Owusu, who made these remarks in an interview on Oyerepa TV, on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, added that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is well aware of this dynamics, which is why it is opposed to any suggestion for a change in the elections day.

“In Ghana, the dominant areas for the SDA are the Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono and Western, this means that if they are really going to observe the Sabbath like the Israelis do, on the elections, it is the NPP who is going to lose.

“Look at the Ashanti Region, see the number of SDA churches here… the NDC knows this and it is the reason for its opposition to the petition. All these undercuts are part of their opposition. I’m telling you, they know,” he said in Twi.

The analyst added, “I’m not saying that no NDC member attends the SDA church, but majority of them are NPP members – just consider the communities in the Ashanti Region”.

TWI NEWS

Background:

The SDA, citing Saturday, December 7, 2024, as a day dedicated to the worship of God, petitioned the Attorney-General's office to sponsor a bill amending the election day.

They proposed the 1st or 2nd Tuesday of November as an alternative, aiming for a more inclusive democratic process that respects the voting rights of all citizens.

The church's leadership emphasized the need for the bill to be sponsored by the Office of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General (Executive) due to its nature.

In their statement, they said, "It is the considered view of the Church that this bill should be sponsored by the Office of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General (Executive) because of its nature. Hence, the request for this meeting with the Honourable Minister in that regard."

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has also proposed that the election day should be changed to November 7.

The commission argues that the move would allow sufficient time for the completion of transitional arrangements, particularly if there is a change in government from one party to another.

This timing aligns with the constitutional requirement of handing over political power by January 7, as stipulated in the 1992 Constitution.

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