Lagos LG elections: APC gains upper hand

By Paul Dada

Although the collation of results is still ongoing, reports from various polling units, wards, and local government areas indicate that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has gained the upper hand in the Lagos State local council elections.

While it is true that there was a low voter turnout across the state, most voters appeared to have voted for the APC.

In Ayobo, P.M. News observed a leader of one of the Community Development Associations in the area mobilisng voters for the APC. The APC was also said to be leading in areas like Ikeja, Yaba, Somolu, and Bariga, and Agege. The ruling party in those places beat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the second place, while the Labour Party (LP) was confined to the third position.

Specifically, for the chairmanship election at Polling Unit 090, Olaifa Street, Bucknor, in Oke Afa/Ejigbo Ward, under the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), APC clinched 51 votes, LP got nine votes, while PDP was left with one vote. Seven votes were declared invalid. For the councillorship election in the same polling unit, APC still had 51 votes, LP had eight votes, PDP had one vote, while eight votes were declared invalid.

The election was reportedly peaceful, with security agencies hailing the orderliness and peacefulness that characterised the exercise. The Commissioner of Police for Lagos, Olorundare Jimoh, said, “So far, so good. The process is very good. There has not been any disturbance of the peace anywhere.”

The Lagos State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Keshinro Adedotun, praised voters for cooperating with security personnel across various wards and polling units.

However, a former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, called for the cancellation of the elections, alleging that there was a plan to rig the exercise.

Speaking on a radio station, Bucknor-Akerele said she was unable to vote because her polling unit, as well as many others, was moved to another area without prior notice.

She said, “I have been to my own unit, and my name is not there. There are units supposed to be in front of Eko Hotel; they have brought them here to Ajose Adeogun. Many people are not able to vote because they have, in fact, completely disrupted all the polling units. I am calling for the cancellation of this election because there’s a clear effort to rig the election in favor of one party.