LIVE UPDATES of Lagos LG Poll

Published 13 hours ago• 13 minute read

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Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commended the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections.

Sanwo-Olu, who cast his vote alongside his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, at Ward E3, Polling Unit 006 in Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island, described the voting process as well-coordinated.

Speaking with reporters after voting, Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that preliminary reports from various parts of the state indicated a smooth and peaceful exercise, with no major incidents recorded.

He urged residents who were yet to perform their civic right to come out and do so, “I encourage everyone who has not voted to go out and cast their vote. This is how we build the kind of leadership we want at the local level,” the governor said.

Explaining further, the governor said, election is not just a constitutiinal process, it is a powerful experession of people’s voice and civic reponsibility

The Governor also used the opportunity to reaffirm the autonomy of local governments in Lagos, stating that they have continued to operate independently.

“In Lagos State, our local governments have been truly independent. They are not just symbolic; They play a central role in delivering services and responding directly to the needs of the people,” he affirmed.

On the issue of security, the governor said he has ahead of the election, directed that security agencies be strategically deployed across all polling units and communities.

He expressed satisfaction with the deployment of security personnel across the state, saying their presence helped to protect voters, electoral officials, electoral materials and also help to maintain peace and order at various polling units and communities.

Hon. Temitope Adewale, widely known as Jah and the current representative of Ifako-Ijaye Constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, is yet to cast his vote at Polling Unit 005, located on Jagunmolu Street, Iju-Ishaga

Voting in the area experienced a slow start, with electoral officials and materials arriving behind schedule. As a result, the exercise only commenced at approximately 10:30 a.m. across the unit and other nearby polling centers.

Despite the eventual start of voting, voter turnout remains notably low. Observers attribute the apathy to inadequate mobilisation ahead of the election and a perceived lack of viable opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.

The Osolo of Isolo Kingdom, Oba Isa Abiodun Olakunle Adejuwon Faronbi-Shekoni Mobadenle Arolagbade Alagbeji III, has commended residents of Isolo for coming out in good numbers to participate in Saturday’s Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in Lagos State.

The monarch cast his vote at exactly 10:58am at Polling Unit 021, located at Ansarudeen College, off Akinbaiye Street, Isolo, describing the turnout as impressive and encouraging.

“Actually, it has been a good response, because what I expected is not what I saw here today,” he said. “We have a very good turnout of voters for today’s exercise, which has been something of encouragement — that people really stood up to their civic responsibility in casting their votes to the desired party of their interests. Everything is going on very well, as expected.”

Oba Faronbi-Shekoni also praised the calm atmosphere and orderly conduct of voters and electoral officials, expressing confidence in a fair outcome.

“The majority of voters I see around here have comported themselves very well. And you can see the environment is peaceful. I believe that the will of the people will prevail and I am sure it’s going to be a fair election at the end of the whole exercise,” he stated.

He added that both LASIEC officials and voters had demonstrated responsibility.

“The way the LASIEC officials have conducted themselves, and the voters as well, they have conducted themselves in a very good manner. So I expect the results to be declared fair, the way I observe the whole exercise,” he said.

However, earlier in the day, an APC party agent, Sebastian Nzekwe, raised concerns over the late arrival of LASIEC officials at some polling units, including PU021, where they were yet to be seen as of 8:52am.

Nzekwe warned that such delays could discourage voters who turned out early with genuine interest in the process.

“If they come out and don’t see any LASIEC officials, they may go back home to sleep, watch TV, or do other things,” he said, urging the government to urgently address such lapses to prevent low voter turnout in future elections.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has cast his vote at Ward E3 Polling Unit 006 at Adeniji Adele on Lagos Island.

He arrived at 11:06 am and went straight to vote.

No queue, as the turnout has been very low.

Oba Isa Abiodun Olakunle Adejuwon Faronbi-Shekoni Mobadenle Arolagbade Alagbeji III, Osolo of Isolo Kingdom votes at PU021, Ansarudeen College off Akinbaiye Street, Isolo

Voting is yet to commence at Ward 021 Beechwood Estate Ibeju-Lekki as at 10.30 although the voting materials had arrived.

The electoral officers are currently waiting for voters at Ward 021 Beechwood Estate Ibeju-Lekki to come and commence voting.

The Electoral Officers were busy stamping the ballot papers while waiting for voters from the Beechwood Estate, and Molete environs to come and cast their votes.

The incumbent Chairman of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Hamzat, has expressed confidence in his victory after casting his vote.

Hamzat arrived at Polling Unit 027, Ward C1, College Road at 10:10 a.m. accompanied by his family members.

Voting commenced at 10:12 a.m. after officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) arrived late, with the Presiding Officer apologising to political party agents and voters for the late start.

Speaking with journalists shortly after voting, Hamzat said he is confident of victory at the end of the polls.

He said: “Well, as we can see, people are voting. It’s peaceful, and everything is going as planned accordingly. My expectation is for people to come out, cast their votes, and do so in an orderly manner. And by the special grace of God, I believe we’re going to come out victorious.

“No, the fact is that people have seen what the government has been doing, and they’ve been enjoying it. They want more of it, and they feel it’s important to come out and vote for whoever they want to vote for. It’s their civic responsibility, which they are fulfilling, and I am very sure that very soon, the turnout is going to be very massive. That I am very sure of.

“Well, first of all, the message I got from the field was that the LASIEC officials weren’t coming out early enough. But as you can see, they are out now. So, my message to our people is for them to calm down, be peaceful as they have always been, cast their vote, and make sure they also protect their votes.”

The APC Chairmanship candidate, who is seeking re-election for a second term alongside his vice chairmanship candidate, Oluwatoyin Awoniyi-Akerele, is contesting with Michael Oloyede of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Adedayo Ashade of the Labour Party (LP), who are among the top contenders in the election.

Earlier, Hamzat queried the Labour Party (LP) agent for standing behind the electoral officials.

The Labour Party agent explained that he was instructed to stand close to the LASIEC officials to monitor their activities.

A total of 848 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots at the polling unit.

The local government elections in Lagos State got off to a sluggish start on Saturday, with several polling units in the Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) yet to see any electoral activity as at 10:30am.

A visit to five polling units across the LCDA revealed the conspicuous absence of electoral officials and materials.

At PU082 (middle of Irepodun Street), PU034 (Odobo Junction, end of Irepodun), PU042 (along Fadunsin Street), PU017 (Otuyelu Junction, Olanipekun Street), and PU055 (Fadunsin Junction), voters who turned up early were left waiting with no sign of officials from the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).

At the Ojodu LCDA Secretariat, electoral officials and ad hoc staff were seen loitering the premises with voting materials in hand.

Several of them, who spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity, expressed confusion about the cause of the delay. They claimed they had been prepared to move to their respective polling units but had yet to receive the necessary go-ahead from superior officers.

Efforts to get a response from the Electoral Officer (EO) for the area proved abortive, as she was reportedly unavailable for comment at the time of filing this report.

The delayed commencement of voting is likely to raise concerns about voter turnout and the general conduct of the election in Ojodu LCDA. LASIEC is yet to issue an official statement on the situation.

Accreditation and voting have commenced peacefully at Polling Unit 009, Holy Saviour Compound, Holy Saviour College Road, Isolo, on Saturday, following a late arrival of electoral officials.

Chief Musilimi Adio Hassan, who was among the early voters, said he was hopeful for a smooth exercise. “I expect it to be peaceful so that we go home. I always make sure I vote because I’m a patriotic citizen. We expect good turnout later despite the late arrival of voters,” he said.

Hon. Abiodun Adegboyega of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the first democratically elected executive councillor of the ward, explained that the election officials arrived shortly before 10am, citing logistical challenges.

“As of now, things are going on peacefully, though we are expecting more people,” he noted.

“Now that we have voted, we will go out and inform others that the process has started. We the leaders have done our best to ensure the area remains peaceful. We’ve been out early and I’m assured there won’t be any problem. We also complement the work of the security personnel,” he added.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area, Usman Hamzat, has arrived at his polling unit to cast his vote.

Hamzat arrived at Polling Unit 027, Ward C1, at exactly 10:10 a.m., accompanied by his family members.

The Chairman, Bariga Local Council, Hon. Kolade Alabi has cast his vote in the ongoing local government elections at his polling unit in Omo Alade Alaafia, Bariga.

In his short remarks, Alabi assured the voters of adequate security during and after the poll.

He commended the logistics put in place by LASIEC and praised the orderliness exhibited by the voters.

Residents of the Elegushi area in Lagos State began casting their votes early Saturday morning as the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) officially commenced the local government elections.

At exactly 9:00 a.m., voting commenced in Units 006, 005, 008, 024, and 015 under the close supervision of LASIEC officials.

A steady stream of voters were seen trooping into various polling units to participate in the electoral exercise.

Speaking with reporters, a voter, Mrs. Ronke Adebayo, expressed satisfaction with the process. “The process was peaceful and I was able to cast my vote without any interference. I’m happy to have exercised my civic responsibility,” she said.

Mr. Tunde Olayemi, praised the early arrival of LASIEC officials and the organization at the polling unit. “I got here around 9 a.m. and, the process had started. It’s encouraging to see everything in order,” he said.

Miss Sade Ogunleye, a first-time voter, said she felt proud to be part of the democratic process. “I was nervous at first, but the officials were helpful and the voting went smoothly,” she said.

At the Oba Elegushi Palace, the atmosphere was lively as voters turned out in their numbers. Some queued patiently while others were seen arriving steadily to cast their votes.

Party representatives from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Youth Party were visibly present at the polling units, monitoring proceedings.

Security presence was strong in the area, with operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) stationed to ensure law and order.

No reports of disruptions as of the time of filing this report.

Officials of LASIEC are yet to be deployed to any polling unit in the Ojodu LCDA as at 9:45am when The Nation visited.

Presently, electoral officers are still receiving voting materials. However, an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they are yet to be given ballot papers.

Officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) were yet to be seen at many polling units visited in Ikotun, Igando, and Iba.

The Nation visited these areas between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

Although some voters and party agents were waiting for the LASIEC officials to commence the voting process, no officials were present in many locations.

At Adeo-Oyo Street in Mushin, LASIEC officials were seen inside a bus with electoral materials, trying to locate their designated polling units.

Residents noted that it was unusual for electoral officers to arrive late for duty on election day.

Those who spoke with The Nation said they were waiting patiently for LASIEC officials to set up the election process. One man said he had been waiting since 8:15 a.m. at his polling unit.

Some residents had mounted canopies at their polling units in preparation for the officials’ arrival.

A visit to the Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Area Secretariat revealed that LASIEC officials had already departed for their various polling units.

At a polling unit in Iyana-Ejigbo, LASIEC officials were on ground and ready, waiting for voters to come out and cast their ballots.

The Nation observed that adequate security was in place as promised by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh.

Police officers were seen at all the locations visited, including Iyana-Ejigbo, Isolo, Ikotun, Igando, Iba, and Isheri.

Officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) have begun arriving at various polling units in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area as at 9:28 a.m.

Their late arrival delayed the commencement of voting leaving many residents waiting.

Voters had turned out early in large numbers, with many arriving at their polling units as early as 8 a.m. to cast their votes.

However, accreditation and voting could not commence until electoral officials arrived to set up materials for the exercise.

Voting on going at Ward E3, Polling Units 006 & 007 within the premises of St. Stephen Nursery and Primary School, Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island.

Voters await officials arrival at Polling Units (PU) 006, 051, 021, 031 Ojodu LCDA

Voters in Polling Units (PU)006, 051, 021, 031 and most other units in Ojodu LCDA are waiting anxiously for the arrival of LASIEC officials as at 9:00am.

The voters, who remained calm, all prayed for a peaceful exercise.

PU 021 and 031 are critical units in Ojodu LCDA elections for the ruling party, APC. PU 021 is where APC stalwart, James Faleke will cast his vote, while PU 031 is the voting center where the incumbent chairman, David Odunmbaku and his influential father, James Odunmbaku will cast their vote.

Late arrival of electoral officials delay voting in Ifako-Ijaiye

The late arrival of electoral officials has delayed the commencement of voting in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Residents turned out in large numbers this morning, arriving at various polling units as early as 8 a.m. to cast their votes.

However, many voters were seen waiting patiently as electoral officers were yet to arrive to begin accreditation and voting.

At the polling unit where the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate, Usman Hamzat, is expected to vote, voters remained on standby, expressing concern over the delay in the electoral process.