Christopher Oji

Low turnout of voters and late arrival of officials of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) and electoral material are being experienced in some polling units in Lagos State.

In the troubled Ago Palace Way of Okota where there was fracas and ballot-box snatching during the last presidential and National Assembly elections, there was heavy presence of members of the security agencies.

At 12:30pm, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 (comprising Lagos and Ogun states) team led by senior police officers, Commissioner of Police Zuibaru Muazu, CP Counter Terrorism , Mr Kenneth Ebirison; Commander Mobile 20 ,  Yakubu Abubakar and other squads were in Okota where the AIG addressed the INEC officials.

The AIG, after being convinced that the area was peaceful, detailed a senior police officer to remain in control and ensure that the security arrangement put in place was not breached.

A voter, Tunde Omoleye, said: “There is really low turnout in Okota precisely because of what happened during the last presidential and National Assembly elections. Secondly, the threat by Yoruba to Ndigbo is a serious issue that brought about the aparty in Okota. This place is highly dominated by Ndigbo. There is the fear and apprehension that something sinister might happen to them. For that fear, Ndigbo did not come out to vote.

At Unit 027, Ward C, Julie Estate Oregun, Ikeja, few persons, including a 70-year-old-man, Alhaji Gida Idris, was waiting patiently for the arrival of INEC staff.

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Idris said he was determined to wait endlessly until the arrival of INEC officials when voting would commence.

“I came out as early as 7am with my wife to cast our votes only to see our polling unit deserted. The policemen posted to secure the area also arrived as early as 7am. I will wait until they come so that I can vote. Although I’m from Bornu State, but I live in Lagos,” he said.

But voting started at about 9.30 am at Unit 011 Ward A, in Onigbongbo area of Maryland with low turnout of people.

A party agent, George Sunbo, expressed worries over lack of police presence at the polling unit, even though she said that the area had been peaceful.

Areas like Surulere, Yaba, Iju, Alagbado also witnessed the same low turnout.

A senior police officer who spoke on the security issues in the state said: “We learnt lessons from the past elections; so we put adequate security measures in place. We arranged with sister agencies especially the military to be part of security. You can see the presence of security personnel everywhere especially the identified flash points.”