The gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in Lagos State have been marred by unprecedented low turnout, intimidation, violence and suppression of voters across the state.
Analysts agree that it is not surprising, stressing that the action of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the first leg of the 2023 general elections is largely responsible.
Again the lukewarm attitude of the security agencies in dealing decisively with electoral offenders and the activities of some persons who have continued to threaten voters are also said to have accounted for the low voter turnout.
Also, reports across various polling units are sad tales of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) changing polling units without prior notice.
In the VGC area of Lagos, the polling unit was moved from the estate to the expressway, with the estate gate locked and voters were asked to come there and vote or forget about exercising their franchise.
A viral video of a lady appealing to INEC to return the polling unit to the estate pointing out that it is very unsafe for voters in their thousands to go and cast their votes there, has been trending online since Saturday morning.
Similarly, in the Oniru area of Lagos, the traditional ruler of the area locked the gate leading to the estate and refused voters’ access to their polling units.
The story is the same across the state, suppression of voters was noticed in Ejigbo, where political thugs took over the scene, shooting sporadically and snatching ballot boxes with no security official on sight to stop them
Meanwhile, Chief Bode George, former Deputy National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lamented the suppression of voters and the uncontrolled activities of political thugs across Lagos State.
Speaking to journalists after casting his vote, the PDP leader said that it is unfortunate that political thugs have taken over the electoral process, intimidating, suppressing, maiming voters and even refusing the electorate the opportunity to elect their leaders.
“All over Lagos State the story is the same as voters kept calling for help and no one seems to be responding. It is a sad situation and a rape of democracy,” George said.
A voter in Alimosho area of Lagos, who doesn’t want her name on paper, said that several gunshots scared people away from the polling units in the area.
“My husband just called me also from his polling unit to say that they are running and shooting was heard. Right now he is hiding in a shop”, she said.
In Shomolu area of Lagos, a voter, who simply gave her name as Blessing, said that area boys took over her polling unit (Ward c (161), while the voters ran for safety.
According to her, “I could not vote because armed men came to beat everyone and chased us away from voting. They took the ballot boxes and shot sporadically in the air,” she said.
There are ballot boxes snatching across Lagos State during this election and voters are worried that they have lost the opportunity to vote their leaders even with so much noise about the 2022 electoral act, use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic transmission of election results.
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