Voter apathy and late arrival of officials marred the early hours of Lagos LG Elections.
Despite a public appeal by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu encouraging residents to turn out en masse for Saturday’s Local Government Elections, several polling units across the state recorded low voter turnout as of 10:10 a.m.
Reports from NewsOnline correspondents monitoring the exercise revealed that many polling centres in key parts of Lagos were either deserted or saw only a handful of voters waiting, raising early concerns about civic apathy.
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At Polling Unit 29, near the Federal Service Club on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, just one party agent was present as of 8:51 a.m., and electoral officers from the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) had yet to arrive.
In Obalende, instead of voters, several youths were seen playing football on the streets around 9:15 a.m., prompting security operatives to step in and dismantle makeshift goalposts and restore order.
Meanwhile, LASIEC officials and party agents were spotted setting up materials at polling units on Odo Street and Igbo Street, but no voters had shown up by the time of filing this report.
At Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Ward E3, Adeniji Adele, a small group of supporters gathered in anticipation of the governor’s arrival to vote. However, as of 10:00 a.m., the governor had not yet appeared, although a strong presence of police officers stood by to maintain security.
Elections Underway Amid Skepticism
The elections are being conducted to fill 57 chairmanship, 57 vice chairmanship, and 376 councillorship seats across Lagos’ 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
Voting officially began at 8:00 a.m. and is scheduled to end by 3:00 p.m., with voters in queue at closing time still allowed to cast their ballots.
LASIEC had earlier assured the public of a credible and well-organized process, but the sluggish start in some locations, marked by late arrival of officials and near-empty polling units—has dampened early expectations.
More updates to follow as the election progresses.
