The Saturday’s local government elections in Lagos State was characterized with malpractices, manipulations and recorded low turnout of voters, as only a handful of voters were seen in some polling units, especially in Epe local government area of the State.
Polling units monitored by journalists in some of the council areas reported that there was voted apathy in most of the polling units during the poll, attributed the apathy to low participation of opposition parties in the elections.
Some area visited in Epe local government area included, Oke-Posun, Oku-Iga, St-Micheal school, Onitasin, Popo-Oba, Sabo, all in Ward A3 of Epe Local Government Area of the State.
Accreditation and voting opened for the prospective voters in Oke-Posun at about 10 am, at polling unit 006, where most of the voters were voting in proxy, using voter’s card that doesn’t belong to them, amid low voter turnout.
The Vice Chairmanship candidate of All Progressive Party (APC), of Epe local government, Mr. Sikiru Owolomoshe, were seen distributing cash of N500 to the voters and allowing people voting in proxy, which turnout to fracas and hullabaloo.
At the polling unit 006, Oke-Posun, the registration area code of the Vice Chairmanship candidate, Owolomoshe, witnessed exchange of hot words, malpratices and manipulations, amid low voter turnout, romancing the opposition and forcing people to vote for his political party (APC).
In Alausa, Nitel, Shade and Ogunmodede polling unit of Former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the election also witnessed low turnout of voters in most polling units, while children and adults were seen playing around some of the centres, also commercial activities were going on in some areas, like Shade, Ayetoro, Ita-opo, Popo-Oba and Lagbade in Ward A3 area of Epe local government area.
Most of the residents expressed rude shock of the emergence of the Chairmanship candidate of Epe local government, Mrs. Surah Oluyemi Animashaun, daughter of Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, alleging that it was unjust and unfavourable for the entire residents of Epe local government.
Hammed Adekunle, a voter in Ogunmodede attributed the low voter turnout to the imposition of candidates and biased of some leaders, noting that most of its leaders (APC) were ungodly and not believe in free and fair election.
Another voter, Abdullahmeed Ayinla, alleged that voters had shown little interest in the election because they were not expecting appreciation from either political parties or candidates for “vote buying”.
Ayinla advocated a law to empower INEC to conduct council elections in the country, saying that State conduction of the local government elections were not acceptable by the people as they were not have confidence in State’s conduct of local government election.
He said the measure would make council elections credible, free, transparent and fair, saying APC were bent on winning at all cost in respective of people’s choice and intention.
Idris Adisa, who voted at St-Micheal Anglican Primary School polling unit, in Ward A3 said the exercise recorded low turnout of voters because the party (APC) failed to produce a credible, reasonable and reliable candidates.
He alleged that the Chairmanship candidate for the local government, Ms. Surah Oluyemi Animashaun was qualified, as her credentials was questionable and she could not defend the allegations of credentials.
“Indeed, she has skeletons in her cupboards as she produced two different secondary schools certificate (SSCE) for the screening, which members of the party are not contend with, some kicked against her emergence but being manipulated by her father, the Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, which make people shun the local government election in the local government area of the State”, Adisa alleged.
