Despite Voter Apathy, APC Leads in Lagos LG Polls

Ambode satisfied with outcome, PDP, LP reject results Voters, stakeholders react as rain disrupts exercise

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, yesterday led comfortably in the elections conducted into all the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) across the state, despite the overwhelming voter apathy that typified the exercise amid the heavy downpour, which rained all day and almost disrupted voting in many of the designated centres.

Although Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, who also recorded landslide result at his Epe polling unit, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the exercise and described the election as peaceful, some of the opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the Accord Party (AP) that participated in the election have called for a cancellation of the election over alleged malpractices, despite competing keenly in many of the wards.

Some of the voters, who also spoke to THISDAY, gave mixed reactions on the outcome of the exercise. While some were satisfied with the conduct, others had cause to complain, either for logistics reasons or general mobilization for an exercisethat heldbetweenmorning and 3pm yesterday, during which movement restriction was also observed maximally.

Unfortunately, however, results were still being counted as at press time last night, but from the exit polls, the APC still proved its mettle as the party to beat in Lagos as it led comfortably in practically all the councils.

Although LASIEC gave no reasons for not announcing results of the elections last night, it was however believed that the weather and other logistic reasons might have contributed significantly to why the electoral body shelved the announcement of results.

Meanwhile, as THISDAY editors and reporters monitored the elections across the state yesterday, it became evident that the persistent downpour had kept many people away from voting, compounded by the general voter apathy to council administration in the state.

For instance, along Agege Motor Road from Iju-Ishaga to Pen Cinema down through Ikeja-along, Oshodi, Mushin, Ojuelegba, and Apapa between 10am and 12.20 pm revealed just a few residents, who visited the voting centres to carry out their accreditation and also vote for the candidates of their choice.

Ironically, the rain, which had been falling consistently in places like Ikeja, Surulere, Apapa, Agege, Ishaga and Mushin, did not stop some youths and children from playing soccer and playing around on the vehicle-free roads, as witnessed by THISDAY.

There was police presence at Ishaga-Elliot, Agege Pen Cinema, Oshodi underthebridge, Ojuelegba at Barracks bus-stop, and in front of AreaBCommandinApapa,where vehicles were stopped and the occupantssubjected toquestioningfor moving around during the election period, in spite of restrictions on movement.

At Ojodo, most polling stations were without voters.