{"id":232344,"date":"2025-07-13T09:33:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T09:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abianewscentral.com.ng\/low-turnout-as-lg-polls-hold-in-lagos\/"},"modified":"2025-07-13T09:33:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T09:33:00","slug":"low-turnout-as-lg-polls-hold-in-lagos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/low-turnout-as-lg-polls-hold-in-lagos\/","title":{"rendered":"Low Turnout As LG Polls Hold In Lagos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Low Turnout As LG Polls Hold In Lagos<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Registered voters in Lagos State, on Saturday, trooped to the polls to elect their preferred chairmen and councillors who will pilot the affairs of the 20 local government areas (LGAs) and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lagos, the economic nerve of Nigeria and a major revenue contributor, has 7,060,195 registered voters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Nigeria\u2019s President, Bola Tinubu, hails from Lagos and was the governor of the state from 1999 to 2007.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_625269\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-625269\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-625269\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Untitled-1-9.png\" alt=\"Lagos, Nigeria\u2019s largest city, sprawls inland from the Gulf of Guinea across Lagos Lagoon.\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Untitled-1-9.png 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Untitled-1-9-300x162.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-625269\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lagos, Nigeria\u2019s largest city, sprawls inland from the Gulf of Guinea across Lagos Lagoon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">There are 13,325 polling units across the 376 wards spread across the state and Lagos has an estimated population of 20 million people. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On the eve of the election, LASIEC Chairman Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile said that no political party was restrained from participating in the elections.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LASIEC Says Its Ready For Saturday&#039;s Poll\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nylVM9Z4xcs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Information from the agency showed that 15 out of the 19 registered political parties in the country have been confirmed for the chairmanship, vice chairmanship, and councillorship positions in the 20 LGAs and the 37 LCDAs in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Justice Okikiolu-Ighile told Channels Television that the electoral body would not use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the election. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThere are some electronics that we are going to use in between. We can go manual,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The councils where elections were expected to be held included Agege, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Mushin, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo, Shomolu, and Surulere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_866512\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-866512\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-866512\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lagos-map.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lagos-map-300x162.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lagos-map.jpg\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-866512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lagos-map.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lagos-map.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/lagos-map-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-866512\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A map of Lagos State<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The LCDAs are Orile Agege, Ifelodun, Agbado-Oke Odo, Ayobo-Ipaja, Egbe-Idimu, Mosan-Okunola, Oriade, Apapa Iganmu, Olorunda, Badagry West, Eredo, Ikosi-Ejirin, Ikoyi-Obalende, Iru\/Victoria Island, and Lekki.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Other LCDAs are Ojokoro, Onigbongbo, Ojodu, Igbogbo-Baiyeku, Ijede, Imota, Ikorodu North, Ikorodu West, Agboyi-Ketu, Ikosi-Isheri, Lagos Island East, Yaba, Odi-Olowo, Iba, Oto-Awori, Ejigbo, Isolo, Bariga, Coker-Aguda, and Itire-Ikate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Currently, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) maintains political control of the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941884\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941884\" style=\"width: 725px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941884\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ellipse-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"725\" height=\"713\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ellipse-1-1.png 725w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ellipse-1-1-300x295.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 725px) 100vw, 725px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941884\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The APC is also the ruling party at the federal level.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), voting was expected to commence at 8:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, Channels Television\u2019s correspondents, who monitored the exercise across the state, observed that the turnout in many of the voting centres was low.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As of 11:20 a.m., only six out of the 234 registered voters at Ikosi-Isheri PU 036 had come out for accreditation and voting, despite the presence of LASIEC officials and agents from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941598\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941598\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941598\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Sanwo-Olus-ward.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Sanwo-Olus-ward.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Sanwo-Olus-ward-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941598\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A polling unit in the Lagos LG polls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Out of the 1,229 registered voters at Alausa PU 003, only 20 had voted as of 11:45, more than three hours after the official voting and accreditation time of 8:00 am.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>A similar situation was observed at Alausa PU 027, where only five votes had been cast, out of 62 registered voters, and at Alausa PU 085, with seven registered voters, and no votes, as of 11:56 pm.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941606\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941606\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941606\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/70-year-old-woman-cast-vote.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/70-year-old-woman-cast-vote.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/70-year-old-woman-cast-vote-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941606\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A 70-year-old woman casts her vote in the Lagos LG elections on Saturday, July 12, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At PU 014 in Elizabeth Fowler Memorial High School in the Adeniran Ogunsanya area of the Surulere LGA, only 60 people had exercised their franchise out of the 669 registered voters as of noon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Although there were no reports of major violence during the polls, voter intimidation and late arrival of materials were recorded in some areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&#039;APC Scared Us,&#039; Festac Residents Decry LASIEC&#039;s Absence, Voter Apathy\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QfWPfbFocTE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A mild drama ensued at the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area on Saturday, as election officials were left stranded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Drama At Ikosi-Isheri LCDA As Officials Stranded, Walk To Polling Units\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wCMF42am_Lc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One of our correspondents on the ground observed that presiding officers and electoral officials were unable to leave for their stations, due to an inadequate number of vehicles to convey them as of 9:30 am. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThey told us it\u2019s not far from here, so we can trek there,\u201d one of them said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Voter Apathy<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On Awolowo Road in the Ikeja LGA, some youths were seen playing football on one side of the road close to Computer Village as of 12:07 pm, while accreditation was ongoing at polling unit 005 on the other side of the road.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>A similar situation was observed in Surulere.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lagos LG Poll: Youth Shun Voting, Play Football In Surulere As LASIEC Sets Up\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SDsn18EAK_k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The electoral officers in the area said they received the ballot papers later than 8 am.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Some of the voters there also said they had been waiting to vote since 8 am.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As of 2:22 pm, only 24 voters out of the 733 registered voters in the PU, representing just 3.5 per cent of the expected voters, turned out at PU 18 in the Ikate-Itire LCDA of Surulere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Additionally, one of our correspondents noted that economic activities were ongoing at Igbayilola Market, located near the polling unit, at approximately 2 pm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, Gbajabiamila, Others Vote<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, cast his vote at 11:28 am.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941892\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941892\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941892\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0024.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0024-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0024-1024x791.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0024-768x593.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0024-1536x1187.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0024-2048x1582.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941892\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sanwo-Olu casting his vote at the Lagos LG election on July 12, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sanwo-Olu and his wife, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, arrived at their polling units, 06 and 07, at St. Stephen Nursery and Primary School on Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, at about 11 am.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941893\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941893\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941893\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0026.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0026.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0026-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0026-1024x791.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0026-768x593.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0026-1536x1187.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pix-0026-2048x1582.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941893\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wife of the Lagos State Govenor, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu casting her vote at the Lagos LG election on July 12, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Deputy Governor, Kadri Hamzat, cast his vote at his polling centre in Oke-Balogun, Epe at 11:05 am.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941727\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941727\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941727\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hamzatt4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hamzatt4.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hamzatt4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hamzatt4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hamzatt4-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941727\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lagos State Deputy Governor Kadri Hamzat (middle) casting his vote in the local government election at a polling centre in Oke-Balogun, Epe, on Saturday, July 12, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, cast his vote at exactly 12:28 pm at PU 014 in Elizabeth Fowler Memorial High School, in the Adeniran Ogunsanya area of the Surulere LGA of Lagos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, while stating that the election was free and fair, lamented the generally low voter turnout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941764\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941764\" style=\"width: 1275px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941764\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gbajabiamila.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1275\" height=\"717\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gbajabiamila.jpg 1275w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gbajabiamila-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gbajabiamila-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gbajabiamila-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1275px) 100vw, 1275px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941764\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gbajabiamila speaking with journalists during the LG polls in Lagos on July 12, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThere is a general low turnout from what I\u2019ve seen perhaps because people don\u2019t understand fully the importance of local government elections, which is even more important than any other election. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cWe need to sensitise our people. We need to educate them about the importance of grassroots government. But so far, it\u2019s peaceful and quiet. It\u2019s free and fair. There are no skirmishes anywhere, and that\u2019s what we all want for any election.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He also said that the adoption of the African Democratic Congress by the opposition coalition was a welcome development and good for democracy, as Nigeria is not a one-party state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Asked about his view on the implementation of the LG autonomy ruling by the Supreme Court exactly one year ago, Gbajabiamila said it was a work in progress and would be perfected with time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He said, \u201cThe ruling was welcomed by everybody. It\u2019s the execution and implementation of that ruling that we are still trying to dot the i\u2019s and cross the t\u2019s. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cI believe in a matter of that, we will realise full autonomy. There cannot be effective governance without full autonomy. That\u2019s what we are working toward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Speaking after casting his ballot at PU 019, Ward E, on Oluwole Olaniyan Street, at the Orile Agege LCDA, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, said it was the duty of the opposition to put a formidable front to gain power.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_903304\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-903304\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-903304\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Obasa-Re-Elected-Lagos-Speaker-After-Merandas-Resignation.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Obasa-Re-Elected-Lagos-Speaker-After-Merandas-Resignation.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Obasa-Re-Elected-Lagos-Speaker-After-Merandas-Resignation-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Obasa-Re-Elected-Lagos-Speaker-After-Merandas-Resignation-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Obasa-Re-Elected-Lagos-Speaker-After-Merandas-Resignation-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-903304\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mudashiru Obasa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Surulere Chair Blames Elite <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Surulere Local Government Area Chairman, Bamidele Yusuf, expressed displeasure over the low turnout of the elite at polling units during elections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Yusuf, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in this year\u2019s ongoing LG election, said the elite needed enlightenment, as their turnout during elections was usually low.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThe electoral officers came early and people have cast their votes as early as 8 in the morning. It is peaceful, and we normally have a large turnout of voters because those who have left normally come around to vote. The logistics are perfect, and materials were distributed early.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cAlthough we have a large turnout in some areas, there are also places where voters did not turn out as expected, especially where we have the elite. This is not supposed to be so because we are supposed to learn from the elite. But what we see here is that the elite sit at home during elections. The media needs to enlighten the elite so that they can come out and vote in the coming elections.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cWhen you get to Adeniran Ogunsanya, the number of people that come out to cast their votes is too small,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Surulere LG Area Chairman, Bamidele Yusuf Casts Vote, Berates Elite Over Voter Apathy\" width=\"740\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/20brr4AoN9s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Observer Laments <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Enough Is Enough Nigeria described the turnout of voters as \u201cpainfully low again\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In a post on its <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">official<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> X handle, it said, \u201cTurnout today is painfully low again. <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LasiecLagos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">@LasiecLagos<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> didn\u2019t do its job: poor planning, zero transparency, and <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">last-minute<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> information. But citizens <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">too<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> didn\u2019t show up. That silence gives the system room to keep failing us. We must do better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Turnout today is painfully low again.\u2639\ufe0f<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LasiecLagos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@LasiecLagos<\/a> didn\u2019t do its job: poor planning, zero transparency, last-minute information. But citizens too didn\u2019t show up. That silence gives the system room to keep failing us.<br \/>We must do better. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VRr10qRyca\">https:\/\/t.co\/VRr10qRyca<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 EiE Nigeria (@EiENigeria) <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EiENigeria\/status\/1944052784413716779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">LASIEC Reacts<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, the Chairperson of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), stated that the claims of low turnout might have stemmed from voters departing after casting their votes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941894\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941894\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941894\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/nylvm9z4xcs-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/nylvm9z4xcs-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/nylvm9z4xcs-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/nylvm9z4xcs-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/nylvm9z4xcs-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941894\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LASIEC chairperson, <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cIn some places, the turnout was very impressive. Some others took their time to come out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cSomeone sent me a message that it didn\u2019t take him more than five minutes at the polling unit. So, we may not even know how many people came out. If we say people turned out very low here, but it might not be so over there because they were not kept at the polling unit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">She noted that, although many polling units outside urban areas were inaccessible, the sensitive and non-sensitive materials eventually reached their destinations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cAt the end of the day, everything settled. Some parts took some time to start, but others took a while. Some people took their time to come out to vote,\u201d Okikiolu-Ighile said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The LASIEC boss stated that, although there were some security concerns, the police handled the situation effectively<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">She said the commission overcame logistical difficulties in some parts of the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Restricted Movement<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Earlier, major roads leading to the nation\u2019s commercial capital were largely deserted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941601\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941601\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941601\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/LG-Poll.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/LG-Poll.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/LG-Poll-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941601\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Major roads leading to the nation\u2019s commercial capital were largely deserted due to the elections.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Nigeria Police Force had announced that movement would be restricted from 6 am to 3 pm in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Channels Television\u2019s crew on the ground observed on Saturday that there were very few vehicular movements from Otedola Road to Ojota and Yaba.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the Ojodu LCDA, skeletal movements were observed on Ogunusi Road in Ogba and at the Berger bus stop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A security patrol vehicle was used to barricade a section of the road around the Berger pedestrian bridge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941669\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941669\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941669\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/blockage.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/blockage.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/blockage-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/blockage-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/blockage-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941669\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A barricaded section of the road adjoining Ogunusi Road around the Berger bus stop in Lagos, following the restriction of movement for the council elections on Saturday July 12, 2025\u2026 Credit: Alexander Okere<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Motorists cleared by security agents in the area were told to reverse and use the expressway.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission conducted extensive monitoring operations aimed at curbing vote buying and financial inducements across several strategic locations during the 2025 elections. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It was led by the Zonal Director and Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman, Michael Nzekwe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The agency said it deployed officers who toured polling units across the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sorting,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Counting Of Votes<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Voting officially ended at 3 pm, after six hours. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The exercise later proceeded to the sorting and counting of the ballot papers in the presence of election observers, party agents, and some voters who had stayed behind to monitor the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941839\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941839\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941839\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/web-dailies-30-December-2024-02-18-25-PM-06076.05_23_52_20.Still224-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/web-dailies-30-December-2024-02-18-25-PM-06076.05_23_52_20.Still224-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/web-dailies-30-December-2024-02-18-25-PM-06076.05_23_52_20.Still224-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/web-dailies-30-December-2024-02-18-25-PM-06076.05_23_52_20.Still224-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/web-dailies-30-December-2024-02-18-25-PM-06076.05_23_52_20.Still224-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/web-dailies-30-December-2024-02-18-25-PM-06076.05_23_52_20.Still224-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941839\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LASIEC officials sorting and counting of votes at the Lagos LG polls on Saturday, July 12, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At Polling Unit 17 in Alhaji Masha, Small London, Surulere LGA, LASIEC officials began the sorting and counting of votes at 3:04 pm. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At the polling level, the votes recorded are expected to be transferred to the ward level and then to the local government offices of LASIEC for final collation and announcement of results at the LASIEC headquarters in the Yaba area of the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Heavy Security At LASIEC HQ <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Meanwhile, a heavy presence of security agents from various units of the Nigeria Police Force was observed at the head office of LASIEC on Lancaster Street in the Sabo Yaba area of Lagos on Saturday evening, ahead of the collation of results from the local government areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_941910\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-941910\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-941910\" src=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/patrol-vehicles-stationed-for-the-Lagos-LG-polls.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/patrol-vehicles-stationed-for-the-Lagos-LG-polls.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/patrol-vehicles-stationed-for-the-Lagos-LG-polls-300x162.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-941910\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patrol vehicles stationed for the Lagos LG polls.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Armed policemen barricaded the entire stretch of the street.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One of our correspondents counted at least four armoured vehicles and 10 police patrol vehicles stationed on the street.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fierce-looking policemen were positioned across the head office of the state electoral commission.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Scores of armed policemen were also stationed inside the LASIEC headquarters, with electoral officials coming and going from the building.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The final collation of results in the chairmanship and councillorship elections is expected to be announced at the centre by the chairman of LASIEC, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On the possibility of collation and announcement of results, the retired judge said, \u201cWe are working, if we <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">will be able to<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> get it today. I\u2019m still with them in the situation room, and if we cannot, early tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As of the time of filing this report, the announcement of the results from councils had yet to commence.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/>APC,Lagos,LASIEC,LG Polls,Sanwo-Olu,Tinubu<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.channelstv.com\/2025\/07\/12\/low-turnout-as-lg-polls-hold-in-lagos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Low Turnout As LG Polls Hold In Lagos \u00a0 Registered voters in Lagos State, on Saturday, trooped to the polls to elect their preferred chairmen and councillors who will pilot the affairs of the 20 local government areas (LGAs) and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state. Lagos, the economic nerve of Nigeria [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":232346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[287,193,573,574,575,179],"class_list":["post-232344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-apc","tag-lagos","tag-lasiec","tag-lg-polls","tag-sanwo-olu","tag-tinubu"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232344\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abiaradiostations.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}