Low Turnout Mars Lagos LG Elections As Scrutiny Mounts Over Delays And Transparency

By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent 

VOTING OPENED this morning across Lagos State in the long-anticipated local government elections, with Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) officials setting up polling units from as early as 7:59am on Saturday.

At St. Stephen School on Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, Units 006 and 007 saw early activity, with officials on site and voting materials in place.

This location is of particular interest as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is registered to vote at Ward 006, which has 634 registered voters. Ward 007 holds 667.

At other strategic points such as PU 008, Ward F in Iyalla, Ikeja, officials were observed preparing materials as scheduled.

However, reports from parts of Alimosho and Agege LGAs indicated a low voter turnout and delays in the delivery of election materials.

Despite the early start in some areas, multiple polling units experienced setbacks.

In Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, presiding officers and election staff were delayed due to an insufficient number of vehicles allocated for transport.

Though arrangements were reportedly made, the lack of adequate logistics impeded smooth deployment.

At Alausa PU22, LASIEC officials arrived at 8:20am., attributing their lateness to sorting issues and logistical bottlenecks.

Voting commenced at Elizabeth Fowler Memorial High School in Surulere PU 014 where the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, is expected to vote.

As of 9:01am, accreditation was ongoing with security presence on site.

Voters, however, turned out in small numbers.

A similar scene played out at other Surulere locations, with PUs barely reaching a dozen voters in queue.

At Small London, PU 17 in Surulere, a notable moment occurred when a physically challenged woman, cast her vote.

Describing the process as seamless, she encouraged others living with disabilities to participate actively in civic duties.

The elections, covering chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship seats, span across 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas.

LASIEC confirmed that 15 political parties are participating in the exercise.

The commission’s chairman, Justice Omobolanle Okikiolu-Ighile, assured that no political party was barred.

Despite this assurance, concern over transparency has dominated pre-election discussions.

Civic group, Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE) openly questioned LASIEC’s preparedness and criticised the late release of the validated candidate list, which came just two days before the polls.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the organisation expressed scepticism over LASIEC’s capacity to deliver a fair and credible election, citing inadequate voter education and lack of operational clarity.

Election logistics continued at the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Headquarters, where ad-hoc staff were seen distributing materials across 14 LCDAs covering Amuwo-Odofin and Oriade.

Security personnel were strategically stationed to ensure order, particularly with the initial traffic restriction directive issued by the Lagos Police Command.

Traffic ground to a halt around the Berger axis of Lagos on Saturday morning as security operatives blocked major entry points into the city ahead of the local government elections.

By 7:32am, dozens of commuters were left stranded, and several vehicles were turned away at the usually busy junction, according to observations by our correspondent on the ground.

Earlier government’s restriction has been adjusted to begin from 6.00am instead of 3.00am, to pave room for some flexibility for early morning movement.

Elsewhere, youth activity around some polling units hinted at apathy, especially along Jubril Martins Street in Surulere, where as usual, football matches were underway instead of civic participation.

Meanwhile, party presence appeared skewed in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with agents visibly manning most polling units. No notable presence of opposition parties was observed by mid-morning.

By 10:35am, popular socialite Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, arrived at the Adeniji Adele polling unit alongside a group of youths.

Though the atmosphere remained peaceful, public scrutiny from civil society groups and observers continues to shape the narrative of the day’s proceedings.