Party Agents Ring Bells To Mobilise Voters

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Party agents on Saturday in Lagos resorted to ringing bells on some streets to urge residents to come out and participate in councils polls.

Some agents also went into apartments and knocked on doors to sensitise voters for the elections which recorded moderate turnout of voters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the polls were generally peaceful in spite of complaints of inadequate voting materials and defective voters’ registers.

Turnout of voters was initially low at various polling stations in Shomolu, Lagos Mainland, Epe and Agege, but gradually increased following the agents’ efforts.

One of the agents, who simply gave her name as Madam Mary , told NAN she rang the bells as part of her contributions to democratic development.

Mary told NAN that she was satisfied that the strategy worked as many of her neighbours in Lawanson, Surulere, came out and performed their civic responsibilities.

An agent who was knocking on doors to encourage voters, also expressed satisfaction that he contributed to democratic development.

At the Ward E, Unit 20 , Market Street, Shomolu, ballot papers were not enough for the large number of voters who came out following mobilisation by the party agents.

The Polling Officer, Mr Gbemi Ogunshakin, told NAN that he had to inform his supervisor when he noticed the development.

Ogunshakin said that there were 551 names on the register but only 300 ballot papers were available for both the chairmanship and councillorship elections.

“We have informed our supervisor three hours ago,’’ he told NAN at about 10:30 a.m.

However, as at 1.30p.m., the unit had yet to get more ballot papers.

Mr Oladele Adekanye, Chairman, Mainland Local Government Area, described the elections as peaceful.

Adekanye who sought re-election, attributed the massive turnout of voters to peaceful coexistence.

He commended the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) for the peaceful conduct of the elections.

In Ikeja, the elections were peaceful in most polling booths as party agents organised voters in queues and ensured orderliness with the help of policemen.

Mr Tokun Pedro, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commissioner for Ikeja, described the election as a success.

“INEC was able to achieved about 35 percentage of voters in the last general elections but there is a likelihood that Lagos State is going to break that record,” he said.

He hailed the police and the electorate for their cooperation.

“I think the police have been fantastic today,’’ he said.

Two undergraduates, Messrs Ojo Akande and Friday Omole, said that they were satisfied with the conduct of the polls.

“It is quicker and more efficient. People vote immediately after accreditation, and this takes only a few minutes.

“During the last general elections, many people, after accreditation went away and never came back to cast their votes,” Ojo told NAN.

Also, the police Public Relations Officer for Lagos State, Mr Samuel Jinadu, told NAN that the election was very peaceful.

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