Lagos: Low Turnout Of Voters, Irregularities Mar LG Election

By Akinwale Kasali

PDP Chairmanship Candidate In Agege LG Arrested

Integrity Issues Hover Around APC In Victory

By Akinwale Kasali

The enthusiasm that greeted the 2019 election whereby voters came out enmasse to cast their votes for their preferred Candidates was missing at the Lagos State Local Government Polls which held on Saturday, July 24, 2021.

At the various polling centers across the State, there was low turnout of voters. The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, officials were sitting down idle.  The electorates were not willing to exercise their franchise.

However, there were allegations of irregularities by other Political Parties that participated in the polls as regards the issue of Card readers.

Young Progressives Party, YPP, one of the parties that fielded a candidate at the poll said that in Shomolu Local Government, LASIEC officials allowed APC members to cast votes without their Permanent Voters Card, PVC.  They used their APC membership Cards to vote.

The party, also,  alleged the failure of the Card Reader to function effectively.

In Agege Local Government, it was a different story. The Peoples Democratic Party’s, (PDP) candidate, Sola Osolana, was arrested in his hotel room in Agege by the Police for allegedly trying to manipulate the election. Allegedly, ballot papers were retrieved from him.

Osolana was said to have cast his votes at his polling unit and returned to the hotel where he was, when the Police got a wind of the alleged plot to manipulate the election by him, and arrested him.

Confirming the arrest was the Police Public Relation Officer, Muyiwa Odejobi, who said Osolana was arrested with regards to  the election.  He said he would brief the media later on the arrest.

In Ojokoro Local Government, it was gathered that the ruling APC  allegedly tried to rig the election, as it mounted pressure on the election officers to allow the APC supporters without voter cards to cast their votes.

The PDP and other Parties had alleged that the voting process at Ojokoro Local Community Development Area in Lagos State is been manipulated with supporters of the All Progressives Congress allegedly voting without using the Permanent Voter Cards.

“We are having issues of manipulation here at Ojokoro Local Community Development Area. APC officials want to cast votes without cards to top up the numbers we have. There have only been four voters so far”, PDP Party agent told this news medium.

It would be recalled that the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, in a statement, had said the Command had put measures in place to enforce the restriction of movement across the state between 6 am and 3pm, adding that only those on election duty and essential services on the election day would be exempted, and that voters should cast their votes and return home, with no Political Party campaigning or canvassing for votes at the polling units.

But it was alleged that the APC agents were convincing voters to vote for their candidates and also inducing them with money.

Odumosu was also quoted saying that, “We assure the good people of Lagos State, LASIEC officials, candidates, accredited election observers and other actors in the election of adequate security before, during and after the elections.”

A viral video on Saturday, showed a woman, apparently, either an APC party official, or an election official, thump printing voting cards thus, manipulating results. There are no reports of her arrest.

It is common that the Party at the center of the State affairs always win Local Government elections in their State, giving the APC an edge.

It would be recalled that in the last LG election in the State, the APC won all the seats in the 20 LG and 37 Local Council Development Area, LCDA, in the State.

However, even if the APC coasts home to victory in the election, the issue of integrity comes into play for their candidates, who were either imposed or had scandals hovering over them.

The litany of certificate forgery allegations against many of its candidates and other sundry challenges may undermine its chances and integrity even in victory.

This brings about legitimacy questions that continue to hover over its mandates.

This is because key stakeholders in the party continue to agitate over unresolved issues of unpopular candidates impositions, manipulations, bribery and certificate forgery cases against some candidates.

Though the party released its list of candidates, leading to rancour among aggrieved members, but the party still went out to hold mega rallies across the state, but some of its candidates are fingered in embarrassing certificate scandals that can weaken its stronghold on the state and widen the cracks.

Some of the controversial scandals that have refused to simply disappear include, that of Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun of Epe Local Government Area (LGA), Kevin Oluwaseun Gabriel, formerly known as Kelvin Luchiano of Apapa LG.

The state leadership under Tunde Balogun, recently christened ‘Balo Dollar’ maybe faced with vote of no confidence as party faithfuls continue to bicker on how the Chairman has introduced incompetence and falsehood to the party. It’s also notable that the party is not ready to sort the injustice looming and this have increased the awareness level of other party candidates, especially the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to multiple reports, the ruling APC may be enmeshed in troubled waters as there are clear indications that some of the candidates fielded at the polls are alleged to have submitted fake documents in a bid to get the party nomination.

Information gathered from Epe Local Government Area was that the Chairmanship candidate of the APC, one Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun had allegedly presented a fake WAEC certificate despite claiming to have graduated from a Nigerian University.

The story of Apapa Local Government is another one worthy of mention as the candidate fielded by the APC to run for the position of Chairman of the council one Kevin Oluwaseun Gabriel formerly known as Kelvin Luchiano, former owner of “question mark music label” was accused to had change his name to correspond with the result he allegedly procured and is being backed by Tunde Balogun the APC Chairman in Lagos State.

Kevin who is the current Vice Chairman of Apapa Local Government was  alleged to have presented a fake NECO certificate claiming he wrote the exam in November 2008 at over age 40 at the Command High School Araromi.

Findings later showed that the school does not exist. Same are cases in areas like Apapa Iganmu with Funmilayo Mohammed, Shomolu with Hamed Salawu and Olarunde Folorunsho of Olorunda LCDA as these areas too are likely to be affected.

The issues of these false documents are not limited to just the Chairmen and their Deputies, Councillors in some Local Governments too are involved in the mess.The case of Toheeb Shokunbi a Councillor in Ikorodu central and many remain a stain on the party.

One wonders why APC did not do a thorough and proper verification process before fielding these candidates.

The party needs to do better as these cases remain an albatross that may give some boost to the struggling opposition and may further dim its chances of ruling the state for more years ahead.