What party agents say about Saturday’s Lagos council polls

By Isa Isawade

Party agents in Alimosho Local Government, Lagos State expressed mixed feelings over today’s council elections across the state.

PMNEWS went round to monitor the conduct of the election in Ajasa-Command area of Lagos on Saturday. There was largely apathy on the part of the electorate.

When this reporter got to Unit 053, Ige Junction, Agbenaje under the Agbado-Oke Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) at exactly 11:47 am, voting was yet to commence.

An APC party agent, Mrs Olaide Olunloye said “we are just about to start voting. LASIEC officials arrived late. We have been here since 7am.”

Another party agent, Tokunbo Shogunro added that “We have been here since something to 7. Some have even left because they didn’t see LASIEC officials. The officials said they missed their way.”

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward G, Hon Kamarudeen Jaiyeola who voted at Unit 055 in the African Church Primary School, Ajasa said election at the unit went smoothly.

“I have voted. I got here around 7am before the LASIEC official came around 9 ‘o’ Clock. Since then, everything has been moving fine. No problem. Everybody is on line, though the turnout is low but there is still time. We are expecting our people to come out,” Jaiyeola said.

What did he think was responsible for the observed apathy? He said, “Usually, we don’t experience large turnout in local government elections. Again, I think the publicity was not enough. The campaign started late. Some people were even asking that which election we are having today. I think that also contributed to the low turnout.”

He added that mainly agents of the ruling APC and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were at the unit to observe voting.

At Unit 054, PDP party agent said materials came late but described the election as being peaceful.

He added that there were some mixed ups, explaining that “some electorate could not get their names at their units. They had to be directed to other units.”

APC agent Adepoju Adijat at Dog centre, Army Barrack, Command said voting went on well without violence.

LASIEC official Isaac Adedeji said they arrived around 9:05 am and met some voters who had been waiting since about 7:30am.

“We met some elders seated here. I think the low turnout is due to the weather. But people have been coming in trickles,” Adedeji said.

PDP Party agent at the polling Unit 003 said though voting at the unit was peaceful but the turnout was very poor.

“I’m not impressed by the turnout at all,” she said.

PDP agent at Dog center, Mr Sanni, said voters came out early but the officials of LASIEC came late.

“People left when they didn’t see LASIEC on time but a few of them came back to vote. There were also some mixed ups of names and polling units which made some electorate to be going round to find their polling units. But the election is peaceful so far,” he said.

APC agent Ogunbayo Simeon at the same unit said voting had been peaceful.