Elections into the 20 Local Government Areas (LGA) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) of Lagos State took off on a slow start on Saturday with voters trickling in at polling centres across the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents covering the polls report that while some officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) arrived promptly, others got to the polling centres more than one hour after the scheduled time for the election.
NAN recalls that the Lagos State Government had announced restriction of movement across the state between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday to enable hitch-free conduct of elections into positions of Chairmen and Councillors in all the state’s 57 LGAs and LCDAs.
Accreditation and voting began at 9. 10 a.m. at Zion African School, Alaagba, Iyana-Ipajaa and Ward F 026 and 027 Polling Units in Agege, but there were few voters on the ground.
A councillorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Bolaji Ogunojo, decried the lack of preparedness by LASIEC for the election.
He said this was responsible for the voter apathy being witnessed in the election.
NAN reports that police and Neighbourhood Corps personnel were present at the polling units awaiting the arrival of voters and electoral officers.
Few traders displayed their wares at the polling centres, hoping to sell to voters that would eventually turn out for the poll.
Meanwhile, commercial motorcycles were seen plying the Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway in spite of the movement restriction order by the state government. (NAN)
