Lagos: Voters Stay Away From Polling Centres After Oluomo’s Threat

Musiliu Akinsaya aka MC Oluomo’s threat to voters in Lagos state to stay back at home unless they want to vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC, appears to be working.

Voters’ turn-out for the ongoing governorship and state houses of Assembly election on Saturday morning is unexpectedly low in the state, as many voters stayed away from polling units on Saturday morning.

The election according to INEC Independent National Electoral Commission, guidelines is expected to end by 3pm.

The magazine observed that the voter turnout in places such as Oshodi, Ikeja and Ogba, among others was very low.

Those who spoke to the magazine said they were afraid for their lives after Oluomo and others working for the ruling party threatened to deal with those opposed to the APC.

“We are being intimidated by these none state actors who have taken over the state. We had expected the state government to protect the peoples, but apparently, this is not happening, so the best thing to do is to stay back at home to stay alive,” a resident in Ikeja said.

“I voted at the Moshood Abiola crescent during the presidential election. Though voter turnout at the time was not very high, today is even worse due to the security scare among residents that they will be attacked. During the election three weeks ago, barely 300 of us cast our votes even though there are close to 1000 registered voters in that polling unit. Today is even worse,” a voter who refused to be named said.

The attempt by the ruling party to stop the opposition, not a few said, is a desperate means to hold on to the aquatic state after the APC was routed during the presidential election.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now president-elect lost the votes in the state to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, an event, many say shocked Tinubu, the godfather of the state’s politics, and his associates who have held power since the country returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Akinsanya, Chairman, Lagos State Parks Management Committee, LSPMC, had at a meeting of supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC), threatened Igbos and other supporters of the opposition parties to avoid the polling centres on Saturday.

“We have begged them. If they don’t want to vote for us, it is not a fight. Tell them, Mama Chukwudi, if you don’t want to vote for us, sit down at home. Sit down at home,” MC Oluomo said.

His comments drew angry reactions from not a few people, for instance, a former Governor of Ekiti state who described the former NURTW boss in the state as an illiterate.

Surprisingly, the Governor Babajide Sanwoolu government did not issue a rebuttal against Akinsanya, a close ally of APC National Leader and President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has a record of intimidating supporters of the opposition parties in the state.

Governor Sanwoolu’s action, according to those who spoke on the matter, may have emboldened more none state actors APC supporters to harass those they believe are against the party, forcing them not to come out to vote.