The commencement of the Lagos State local government elections in parts of Agboyi-Ketu was delayed on Saturday due to the late arrival of party agents at several polling units.
Despite the early presence of officials from the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), voting could not begin as expected in many areas, as electoral officers waited for party representatives to arrive before proceeding with the exercise.
At Polling Unit 002, Ward C, located at 21 Agidi Road, under the Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), only four registered voters were seen as of 9:00 a.m., with just the agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) present.
“We’re patiently waiting for other party agents for us to start the voting exercise,” said the presiding officer, Mrs. Stella Emmanuel.
A similar situation played out at Polling Unit 008, Ward A, on Ajiboye Street, where no party agent had arrived by the same time. LASIEC official Mr. Adesina Akeem expressed concern, stating that the absence of party agents could hinder the credibility and smooth conduct of the election.
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At PU 028, Ward B, located at 20 Oluwakemi Street, both APC and Labour Party agents were present, but no voters had shown up to cast their ballots.
However, a few polling units recorded better coordination. Party agents from both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were on ground at PU 030 and PU 050 on Fadiya Street, as well as PU 052 on Adisa Akintoye Street, all under Ward A.
Despite this, the overall voter turnout in the early hours remained low across the ward, raising concerns about public engagement in the local council polls.