Voting commenced late at Ward D, Orile, in the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Kosofe LGA, Lagos State, on Saturday, as the first vote was cast at 10:28 a.m.
Saturday Telegraph reports that Banjoko Ibidunni was the first to vote at the unit and used the opportunity to call on young Nigerians to engage in the electoral process.
“We cannot sit back at home and complain. Let’s exercise our civic rights,” she told journalists after casting her vote.
Our correspondent observed a slow start to the day, with many voters arriving only after 9:00 a.m., citing difficulty in locating the polling unit due to a lack of signage and guidance. One resident reported having to call the ward councillor for directions.
“I had to call the councillor before we could even find the polling unit,” the voter said.
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Electoral officials arrived late, which contributed to the delayed start. An official at the unit disclosed that 77 voters were registered at the polling unit, but as of 10:35 a.m., only four had turned up to vote, and there was no queue in sight.
Despite assurances from the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) of early deployment across all 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas, reports of late arrivals and low turnout have emerged from multiple locations statewide.
The local government elections are being held to elect chairmen and councillors who will lead grassroots governance for the next term. However, logistical delays, voter apathy, and poor communication continue to affect voter participation.
Voting was still ongoing at Ward D as of the time of filing this report.
