12 October 2008
Lagos — Election into the 20 constitutionally recognised Local Government Areas as well as the 37 Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) of Lagos State was held yesterday amid voters' apathy across the state.
But the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) told newsmen that it would begin to announce the result of the election from 12 noon today.
The election, though peaceful, was however characterised by low voters turn out and apathy in Surulere, Apapa, Ikoyi, Ibeju-Lekki, Alimosho, Ikeja, Yaba, Agege, Ojodu, Iju and Ishaga areas of the state.
The poor turn out was further accentuated by the heavy rain witnessed in the early hours of yesterday. But as at past one in the afternoon when THISDAY went round some of the polling units in the state, only few of them had barely recorded 60 voters for an election billed to end at 3.pm. And in most cases, registered voters in some of the polling units ranged between 500 to a little above 1000.
The restriction of movement order was adhered to by the people and residents of the state as no movement of vehicle was noticed in places visited.
THISDAY gathered that except for those concerned with election matters; most of the major streets and highways in the state were however taken over by youths and kids who had converted them to football pitches during the period of the voting exercise.
But Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola however dismissed as fallacious, the argument that election was unconstitutional and illegal as he declared the exercise a benchmark for the country.
He made the statement shortly after casting his vote at Polling Zone One, Station two, inside State Grammar School, along Itoro Street, off Eric Moore Road in Ward G3 of Surulere Local Government Area.
The poll was conducted by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) to elect chairmen and councilors in 20 Local Government Areas and the 37 Local Council Development Areas in the State.
Fashola who voted at about 12.15pm remarked: "I think it (the election) is a sign-post for us of the acceptance of democratic governance in Lagos and it serves as a benchmark and an example for all other parts of corporate Nigeria to emulate by allowing the people to have the final say about how they wished to be governed."
According to him, the claim in some quarters that the state had infringed on the constitution of the country by conducting election in the old 20 local government areas and the newly created 37 LCDAs is "extremely fallacious". He contended that the fact that the new local governments have not been listed in the constitution does not make the elections illegal or unconstitutional.
He explained that the argument against the conduct of the poll in newly created local government areas "overlooks the fact that the constitution however well intentioned is not a perfect document because it was drafted by human beings. Those who made the constitution at the time they made it could not have seen that far. Circumstances that they did not envisage will arise. This is one of those circumstances. On the one hand you say create local governments. If they are not created how do they get to the National Assembly? We can't send an intention to create there. If they existed having been created and affirmed by the Supreme Court, we can't ignore them."
Fashola said Nigerians should also begin to ask questions on whether the judgment of a foreign court could override the constitution as the Federal Government had gone ahead to cede one of the 774 local governments in the constitution to the Republic of Cameroon without first amending the constitution. He was of the opinion that since the central government did not first effect an amendment of the constitution before implementing the judgment of the international court, in the same treatment given to the goose should be good for the gander.
"So far so good, we are happy at the level of engagement and participation. People clearly are imbibing democratic culture recognising that this is a very critical government to their lives. So they have gone out to exercise their civic duty and right by choosing their leaders at the grassroots level." The governor however hailed the poll as a well planned process. He said the implementation has also been seamless and problem-free.
In places like Mushin, Surulere LGAs and Oshodi Isolo local council development areas visited by THISDAY, the exercise was generally peaceful.
Some polling units visited by THISDAY include 008 Ward D and 042 Ward C in Oshodi Isolo LCDA, unit 001 in Mushin LGA, units 06, 028, 029, 031 and 034 all in Ward G in Surulere and 003 and 004 in Apapa Local Government Area. Others included Ikeja/Ojodu, Olaleke Morgan, Grammer school and unit 015- all in Ojodu.
THISDAY also visited the polling unit in front of Area G Police station, unit in front of NSO building and those on Kafi Street in Ikeja. The same thing goes to Balogun/Sunmonu unit in Agege, unit 011 in Iju/station road and Nelson Cole in Iju. Most of the centres, however registered low voters turn out.
At the Police Barrack Ward polling unit in the Ikeja GRA for example, voting had not started at about 11.20am when THISDAY visited. The electoral officials who had no canopy or umbrella sat under a tree with no voters in sight.
An official at the unit told THISDAY that the rain was destroying some of their voting materials hence they had made arrangements for "somebody to bring a canopy" for them.
He said that there were no voters yet though they got the voting materials early.
"You know it has been raining since morning. It is disturbing us. So far, the voters' response has been poor and we are waiting to see if we can get an umbrella or canopy here"
As at 1.45pm when THISDAY returned to the booth, not up to 10 voters had cast their votes.
The situation was very different at a polling booth at the Mary Land bus stop in Onigbongbo Local Council Development Authority. Voting started there at about 11.30am.
All through Ogudu, Ojota down to Alapere the situation was the same. Voters refused to come out to vote even as the roads into and out of Lagos remained blocked from out and in-bound vehicles. Many commuters and travelers who were entering Lagos by road had to stop at the Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway until 4pm when traffic was allowed into Lagos.
Also vehicles going out of Lagos were screened by Policemen at the same point. At most of the polling booths, up till 2.30pm, not more than 20 voters had shown up.
Some of the presiding electoral officers in the areas refused to comment on the conduct of the exercise, others who spoke said they were unimpressed. It was learnt that the election materials were not delivered to them on time. But the story was not the same in some polling centres in Ipaja area in Alimosho where voting could not commence until about 11.30am
When THISDAY visited the collation centres at Burma Road, Apapa Local Government Area headquarters and Rabiu Ato Thompson Primary School in Surulere Local Government Area between 4. 15 pm and 4.35pm, results of the elections were being collated.
At the LASIEC office at Sabo, Yaba, there was heavy presence of mobile policemen mounting guard around the area.
The LASIEC Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajao said the election was peaceful in all the areas and that the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Fatai Adeyinka had also visited. Ajao said collation of the results would start from ward to local government levels before getting to LASIEC which would announce the outcome of the results beginning from 12 noon today.
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