Lagos residents will, today, July 22, elect their chairpersons and councillors across the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas.
A total of 12 political parties presented candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship positions in the election.
The parties include Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), and Kowa Party (KP).
The rest are Labour Party (LP), United Democratic Party (UDP), United Progressive Party (UPP), National Action Council (NAC), and Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).
Initially billed as a two-horse race between the ruling party in the state, the APC, and the PDP; the in-fighting within the two parties in the state has opened the window for the other contenders to give a shot at winning the race.
Accreditation and voting will take place simultaneously between 7.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m., according to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC
The results of the chairmanship elections will be declared at the collation centre in each of the local councils, according to LASIEC, while that for councillorship elections will be announced at ward collation centres.
PREMIUM TIMES reporters will provide you updates on the election.
7.27am: The Lagos State Independent Electoral Council LASIEC officials are in Onigbongbo Local government area.
They have been here since last night in preparation for the day’s business.
However, the heavy downpour this morning has paralysed every form of activity as they wait for the rain to subside.
7.42am: There are light showers now and LASIEC officials are moving to several wards from Ward D Opebi, Onigbongbo Local council.
They passed the night in Opebi primary school where they received materials for the election last night.
7.52am: Meanwhile, setting up of the polling boot in ward D Opebi in Onigbongbo Local council has commenced.
Mrs. Oni, the supervisor of the ward said that “immediately after these, accreditation will commence.”
8.10am: In Ward F, Alausa in Ikeja local government there are no signs of LASIEC officials or the election materials.
There are a handful of voters waiting in front of St. Peter’s Anglican primary school Ikeja where the exercise should take place.
Four police officers have been at the venue for the past thirty minutes.
8.21am: Houses in Sabo area of Yaba, Lagos State, were on Saturday morning submerged by water.
Many of the houses got flooded after a heavy downpour that kept residents indoors for more than three hours.
PREMIUM TIMES’ correspondent who was in the area reports that the rain began at around 5:04 and stopped around few minutes past 8’o clock.
Many shops and residential buildings were submerged by water, as residents recounted their ordeals.
A resident, Femi Owolabi, said such occurrence had never been experienced in the area for a long time, saying residential buildings were affected by the flood.
Many residents lamented the situation and called on the authorities to come to their rescue.
Others said there might be apathy in the local council election holding today due to the effect of the flood.
8.36am: In Ward E, Agidingbi, Ojodu local council area, LASIEC officials are just arriving Agidingbi grammar school.
Voters have been waiting for the arrival of the officials.
8.49am: LASIEC officials have quickly begun the setting up of the polling boot in Ward E, Agidingbi, Ojodu local council area.
Omole Olamilekan, an official said “we are through with the setting up and once the voters are much, we will commence.
“We will be doing the accreditation and the voting at the same time,” the official said.
9.04am: Instructions are being dished out as well as pasted on the walls of the voting centre, Ward E Agidingbi in Ojodu local council area.
The materials are also set for the commencement of the voting exercise.
9.20am: Ward C, Lagos Island East
Accreditation and proper voting, have begun
The electoral officer said, “Everything follows – once we accredit the voter, he votes immediately.”
There is, however, low turn out of voters.
A voter, who identified himself simply as Saidi, said the early morning rain caused disturbed a little disturbance, adding that people would soon come out.
PREMIUM TIMES observes that it is raining at the time of this report.
9.25am: LASIEC officials already at units 8 and 17 in Ward B1, Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin local government.
But not a single voter in sight.
Party agents at Unit 17 include APC, Labour and Accord while those at Unit 8 are Labour, Accord, and PDP.
An electoral officer blames the early morning downpour for the zero voter turnout.
9.31am: It has started to rain again in Festac Town.
9.31am: Ward C3, Polling booth 006
Voters are complaining about not possessing voters’ card.
Electoral officers said they can’t vite without it.
Accreditation just began around 9:29 but there is low turn out, still.
Officer of the Rapid Respond Squad are on patrol.
9.29am: Verification and voting have commenced in ward E, Agidingbi, Ojodu local council area.
Voters will first have their names verified before being given the ballot papers to thumb print on it and drop into the box.
9.50am: There seem to be a mixed up in location of polling centres in some wards in Amuwo Odofin. Some party agents and voters were seen moving from polling unit to polling unit trying to identify their centres.
An Accord party agent at 5th Avenue, Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin, says:
“We are still outside now, this is to 10, we’ve not seen our polling unit. They went to put Ward B1…instead of you to vote in Ward C, Ward B1 is in Ward C and Ward C is in Ward B1, they mixed everything up, so that’s the problem. All these people here they are still waiting for where they will vote, we don’t even know our polling units, the LASIEC officials are not around yet.
“This place there’s supposed to be three polling units but it’s only one now, and the one has moved over and they are forgetting that that person that is crossing over is crossing to another Ward, this road (5th Avenue road) demarcates Ward C and Ward B1. The moment you cross to the other side of 5th Avenue, you’ve crossed to another ward.”
9.51am: At the Central Business District, Lagos Island, young men playing football barricaded the street.
When prompted by our reporters on why they aren’t at the polling booths, one of the boys , 21 year-old Kola Badmus, said, “Why will somebody vote when all of them are going there to chop (embezzle) money?”
At the CBD roundabout, others were seen arguing at the newspaper stand.
10.19am: Voting commenced around 9am in ward A Ogba, Ojodu LCA, but the exercise has witnessed a very poor turnout.
Party agents at the ward are APC, PDP, ACCORD party and Action Alliance.
“The turnout is very low but the process is easy and straight forward,” Jide Odufuwa, one of the voters said.
He further said that “the election process is far better than what we use to have where after the accreditation we will be asked to wait for about two or three hours.
“In today’s election, the accreditation and the voting are done simultaneously and that’s commendable,” said Mr. Odufuwa.
10.19am: Regarded as a flashpoint, elections have begun proper here.
It is getting a little rowdy but election officials are trying to contain the people’s disorderliness.
Party agents are on ground but there is no visible presence of security operatives.
10.44am: Accreditation and voting have begun at Unit 023, Baba Ewe, in Ago Palace Way, Oshodi Isolo local council. About one dozen voters on the queue.
Nearby, at Unit 18, Ohafia junction, the LASIEC officials have just arrived and are setting up their material.
Meanwhile, at least five different street football games are ongoing along the Ago Palace Way/Okota Road.
10.46am: Officials of LASIEC are just arriving at ward A, Agege.
One of the officials said “the delay was as a result of the several warnings issued to them by the school which is to be used for the exercise.”
“We were not allowed entrance into the school,” the official said
“We have agreed to use the front of the school for the exercise.
“Anwar-ul-islam model college is the the name of the school.
“This area is a very tough area and we need security here. Without the assurance of security presence, we will not start,” said the official.
At Ward A, Unit 014, Gregory road, Ikoyi, there was no voter at the booth at the time of this report.
The electoral officer in charge of the booth, Jamiu Babalola, attributed the poor turnout to the early morning downpour.
“As you can see, it is still raining a bit. Hopefully people will soon come out. It is too early to judge,” he said.
Party agents, including security agencies, were also on ground observing.
11.04am: In ward A, Agege local area council election officers are insisting on the presence of police officers before the commencement of the voting exercise.
One of the officers who does not want his name published said “you need to see the way the boys in this area behaved when we came.
“We will not start until we see security men here.
“The police have just been passing us and when we stop them, they say they are on patrol.
“They want something dangerous to happen first before they come here,” the official said.
11.06am: At units 056 and 057 outside the Nigeria Army Resettlement Centre, Oshodi Express road, the LASIEC officials are waiting for voters.
A party agent says it’s a ward for army officers and “they come out at their own convenience.”
11.17am: Ward A1 Agege, Agege local area council.
Election materials are just arriving as the election officers are prepping the few voters on ground.
The delay according to an official was as a result of the downpour this morning.
11.20am: There is low turnout at Polling Unit 12 A, Lekki Scheme 1, Lekki.
A party agent who spoke to our correspondent said people would soon come out.
Other party agents are sitting idly awaiting voters.
11.29am: Ward A1 Agege, Agege local council area.
Accreditation and voting proper has commenced.
APC, PDP, and ACCORD PARTY have their agents on ground as they made enquiries as to the number of pages of the ballot papers.
11.36am: There is low turnout at Polling Unit 12 A, Lekki Scheme 1, Lekki.
A party agent who spoke to our correspondent said people would soon come out.
Other party agents are sitting idly awaiting voters.
11.47am: Bolaji Ariyoh, the APC chairmanship candidate for Oshodi local government, just voted at Unit 066, Afarogun Ward.
He said the process has been peaceful “as we all can see.”
“There’s no cause for alarm, Oshodi is extremely peaceful and calm. We’ve been on the field since morning trying to check how people are coming out, despite that it rained, people are still coming out slowly. I don’t think there will be any issue reported today in Oshodi because there is no contest here.”
On the low voter turnout around the local government, Mr. Ariyoh said, “In as much there is no specific time that people must come out, there is a duration. People come out at there own convenient time, just like myself, I’m just coming out now. Maybe, before the end of the time all the ballot boxes will be filled.”
11.50am: There is low turn out at Victoria Island LCDA Polling Unit 18.
Officials are calm and composed as there are very few people around the booth.
At the poling booth 18A, Iru, PREMIUM TIMES observes that there is apparent apathy too.
A voter who does not want his name in print said voters at the polling unit are mostly elites who do not vote.
“They would rather sit in the room and analyse on TV talk shows and radio,” he said.
11.54am: In Ward A Omituntun Olori in Alimosho local council area, LASIEC officials are seen sitting and patiently waiting for voters.
“We started early but we have recorded just a few voters,” a LASIEC official said.
11.54am: It’s a very slow start at Ogudu Primary School, Ogudu GRA. Electoral workers are still setting up. The officials who refuse to speak on camera attribute the low turnout to the rains and poor awareness.
12.00pm: A polling booth at Popoola Street, Shomolu, Bariga. Heavy rainfall and no sign of voters.
12.01pm: Youths complaining in Mosan Okunola LCDA Abesan Ward D Polling 064. The youths say their names have systemically been removed.
12.31pm: There is tension at Ward A, unit 031, Obalende LCDA, Obalende, as at the time of this report as supporters of one of the candidates are threatening to disrupt the process.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that trouble started when LASIEC officials decided to change the location of the booth to an enclosed place due to the rain.
The decision, however, did not go down well with some of the youth who alleged that officials of the commission are in secret plan with a particular party to rig the process.
The officials have however moved to the youths’ preferred location as at the time of this report.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, the agent of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the LCDA, one Mr. Sola, said the aggrieved youth are only bent on fermenting trouble.
“They are not registered voters. They are supporters of Labour Party; they just want to disrupt the process,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES observes that security officials are on ground to contain the restive youth, although the youth are bent on disrupting the process.
“We will scatter everything here today,” one of them said.
12.37am: Ward C 022 Valley Estate, Ikeja local government
There were only the LASIEC officials present at the polling booth.
An election official who identified herself as Miss Lawal was of the opinion that “the low turnout could be as a result of lack of mobilisation.”
1.14pm: At Bola Tinubu’s Ward, Unit 026, Ward F, Alausa, less than 50 people, out of a registered voters population of over 1,000, had voted as at 12 noon.
Addressing journalists after he voted, Mr. Tinubu, said claims of imposition of candidates in the APC are untrue because everyone was carried along.
He also said the crisis in the party was a result of its popularity in the state.
“We have 57 local government areas in Lagos, for every chairmanship positions, there are 13 candidates, for every councillorship position, there are 18 candidates. And you can only have one person for each of those positions.
“Conflict resolution is the hallmark of democracy, we just have to find a way to resolve all the issues.”
1.25pm: Ward D Anthony village, Kosofe local government area.
There were no voters at the polling booth as LASIEC officials were seen idly sitting and observing the weather.
An official blamed the continuous rainfall for the low turnout.
An A.D agent disclosed that “the process has been peaceful but the rain has mad people stayed indoors.”
“The process has not been encouraging,” the agent said.
1.25pm: The processes of accreditation and voting are presently being done simultaneously in major booths in Eti-osa LGA.
At Ward A polling unit 4, voters are already casting their votes.
Voting was, however, delayed in some polling units in the area as LASIEC officials arrived quite late.
1.53pm: The rain fall continues in Yaba as the roads are immensely flooded.
2.00pm: There is a very low voter turnout around Unit 023, Daranijo Primary School, Bariga, Shomolu local council. Some of the electorates are asking for “mobilization” before they come out to vote.
At Unit 001 in Ifelodun local council, the electoral officials arrived at 12.42 pm. They said they came earlier but with the wrong accreditation list and had to go back. Accreditation and voting is ongoing now.
2.07pm: Ojota polling center witnessed very poor turnout. An official tells PREMIUM TIMES that only 20 persons have voted so far. Voting began at 11am.
2.08pm: The turnout at Ward A in Odo street, Obalende, is quite fair.
The electoral officer says voting will soon come to an end and collation will begin by 3:00.
Meanwhile, normalcy has returned to the Ward in Obalende where there was tension earlier.
When PREMIUM TIMES re-visited the polling booth, voters were seen casting their votes while others watched on.
2.56pm: Polling units in Surulere local government and Coker-Aguda local council are deserted. There are more people playing football along the roads, under the rain, than are voting.
At Unit 058, Jinadu-Aiyetoro, in Coker-Aguda local council, an electoral officer was suggesting to the party agents to go round with megaphones to call out people from their homes. There are 432 registered voters at the unit, but 29 people have voted as at 3p.m.
3.00pm: Sorting and Collation of votes have begun in some polling booths in Obalende axis of Lagos.
At Ward A, off Odo street, the electoral officers have started sorting the votes although there are concerns about presence of more security personnels to prevent violent atttacks.
3.29pm: At 3:09, electoral and security Officials have vacated the empty poling booth in St. Gregory, Ikoyi.
Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES had reported that there was no voter at the booth when it was visited.
Polling units in Surulere local government and Coker-Aguda local council are deserted. There are more people playing football along the roads, under the rain, than are voting.
At Unit 058, Jinadu-Aiyetoro, in Coker-Aguda local council, an electoral officer was suggesting to the party agents to go round with megaphones to call out people from their homes. There are 432 registered voters at the unit, but 29 people have voted as at 3p.m.
Sorting over and counting of votes begins at the polling booth off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi.
There, however, are no security personnel available on ground.
Voting and collation completed at the polling booth at the Tafawa Balewa Square Terminal, Lagos Island.
Party agents of the PDP, APC and Labour party signed the election results sheets and attested to the fairness of the process.
Ojo Ogundeji, the agent of the PDP at the polling booth, said the process was peaceful and devoid of rigging.
“We are happy that it was peaceful. And I am glad my party, inspite of the internal crisis, could still put a showing. The process is fair,” he said.
In Ward F, Ifelodun local council, several voters alleged they were not allowed to vote by thugs who arrived with pistols and bottles because they wanted to vote for PDP.
A lady said they told her “this place is not Onitsha” before driving her away.
Chinedu Ezugha, the PDP vice chairmanship candidate, said he was unable to vote because of the tense environment around his voting centre.
“People came out in good numbers in the morning to vote but when the armed thugs came, everybody ran away. They packed all the papers and thumb-printed them, and then forced someone at gunpoint to sign for PDP because they had chased away the PDP agent.
“All the policemen at the polling units were withdrawn immediately before the thugs arrived.”
PREMIUM TIMES did not see any police officer at about five polling units visited. After the results were announced at Unit AD1, Ward F, the APC agent squeezed some money into the hands of the LASIEC official.
Results in PU AD1, Ward F, Ifelodun local council
Councillorship
APC 41
Labour 18
PDP 25
Chairmanship
APC 45
PDP 29
Labour 10
BREAKING NEWS: APC IN LANDSIDE VICTORY IN AMBODE’S POLLING UNIT
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has won both the Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in Ward A6 polling Unit 033 located in Ogunmodede College, Papa Epe where the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode voted this morning.
At the end of counting of the votes cast, the results showed that the APC polled a total of 299 votes for the Chairmanship election as against one polled by the Labour Party and zero vote polled respectively by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party.
For the Councillorship election in the unit, the APC polled a total of 293 votes as against One polled by Labour Party and zero polled by PDP.
In the second polling unit in the ward, APC polled 298 votes for the Chairmanship election as against zero vote polled by the PDP and Labour.
Also in the councillorship election, APC polled 300 votes while the PDP, Labour and Accord Party all polled zero vote.
It is still raining in many parts of Lagos, but voting has ended in almost every corner of the state and LASIEC officials are now at the various ward and local government collation centres for the announcement of the final results.
In Ajegunle, there is heavy security around the Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government secretariat where final collation is currently going on.
There is also a heavily armed police presence at Amuwo Odofin local government secretariat in Festac Town.
9.15pm: There is yet to be an official statement from the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Ayotunde Philips as regards the just concluded local council polls.
As at 7:25pm, the public relations officer LASIEC told journalists that “a statement could not be made because there were no enough facts from the field.”
Journalists had been waiting at the LASIEC office.
However, he stated that “the results would be made known as soon as information got to them.”
The Peoples’ Democratic Party chairmanship aspirant in Ifelodun local council, Kunle Olapade, has gone into hiding after receiving numerous threats to his life, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.
Mr. Olapade’s decision to go into hiding came just as his running mate, Chinedu Ezugha, was disenfranchised because of the presence of gun-toting thugs at the latter’s polling unit.
In nearby Ajegunle, Rita Orji, a PDP lawmaker representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun federal constituency, said she received death threats prior to the election day.
Anger in Ajegunle
Mr. Olapade said his party supporters were systematically disenfranchised due to the arrival of voting material at around 3 p.m.
He said although he won at his polling unit, the margin would have been far higher if everyone was allowed to vote.
He also said the Igbos living in the council, whose votes were instrumental to the election of Mrs. Orji in 2015, were not allowed to vote.
“It’s like they removed the Igbo names from the accreditation list because about 75 percent of them could not vote because they didn’t see their names. And it was the same place that they voted two years ago.
“I’m hiding now because the pressure is too much. I’ve never seen this kind of thing before.”
PREMIUM TIMES observed that there were no PDP agents at the two local council areas in Ajegunle, the Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government area and Ifelodun local council, where collation of votes is taking place.
Mohammed Jubril, a PDP agent, said he was advised to stay away from the Ajeromi-Ifelodun council secretariat if he valued his life.
“Our problem started earlier today when election officials at my polling unit, units 23 and 24 in Olumokun, in the afternoon and when they stopped people from voting, there were still more than 100 on the queue,” said Mr. Jubril.
“And there was a lot of hoodlums going round hijacking ballot boxes.
“After the voting, we were to escort the election material to the collation centre at Late-night but they diverted to Ifelodun local council secretariat and used security men to chase everybody out.
“It was while I was there that I got a message that if I love myself, I should leave this thing.”
There were also several cases of ballot box-snatching in Ajegunle, including at Ward A in Layinka where 13 boxes were hijacked by armed hoodlums.
Mrs. Orji said she was assaulted by APC members when she tried to cast her vote.
“I had already started receiving threats before today that I should stay away from this election,” said Mrs. Orji, the lone surviving PDP member in the local government after the others defected to the APC.
“So I had to come in another car and they were looking for the car they knew me with. This was not an election, the same election that brought me into office.
“There was ballot carrying and ballot snatching, there was intimidation of voters, there were guns and knives which were used to chase away PDP agents from polling units. Ajegunle was filled with area boys today.”
RESULTS out so far
1. Lagos Island: APC 14,692; PDP 925;
2. Ikoyi Obalende: APC 7,112; PDP 756;
3. Agboyi-Ketu: APC 10,701; PDP 1,759
4. Ikorodu West: APC 3,088; PDP 555
5. Ikeja: APC 6,191; PDP 990
6. Ejigbo: APC 4,876; PDP 1,079
7. Badagry West: APC 5,300; PDP 935
8. Lagos Island East: APC 9,060; PDP 1,128
9. Epe: APC 21,401; Labour 948
10. Eredo: APC 10,910; PDP 737
11. Oshodi/Isolo: APC 8,429; PDP 3,928
The election into chairmanship and councillorship positions in Lagos held on July 22 across the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas.
A handful of voters defied the rains to cast their votes.
There were cases of ballot box-snatching and voter intimidation in areas like Bariga and Ajegunle.
There is yet to be an official statement on the conduct of the election from the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Ayotunde Philips.
As at 7:25pm on Saturday, the agency’s spokesperson told journalists that “a statement could not be made because there were no enough facts from the field and results would be made known as soon as information got to them.”
The agency, however, has announced there would be an election in Ward F, Agbado-Oke Odo local council, today because it could not hold on Saturday.
The final results are announced at the various wards and local council collation centres.
Here’s a list of the one released so far:
1. Lagos Island: APC 14,692; PDP 925;
2. Ikoyi Obalende: APC 7,112; PDP 756;
3. Agboyi-Ketu: APC 10,701; PDP 1,759
4. Ikorodu West: APC 3,088; PDP 555
5. Ikeja: APC 6,191; PDP 990
6. Ejigbo: APC 4,876; PDP 1,079
7. Badagry West: APC 5,300; PDP 935
8. Lagos Island East: APC 9,060; PDP 1,128
9. Epe: APC 21,401; Labour 948
10. Eredo: APC 10,910; PDP 737
11. Oshodi/Isolo: APC 8,429; PDP 3,928
12. Orile-Agege: APC 7,537; Accord 2,362; PDP 1,461
13. Amuwo Odofin: APC 4,467; PDP 1,461; Labour 1,067
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