Voting underway in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos

Voters came out in trickles at Ibeju-Lekki state constituency I, where supplementary elections held in Lagos State on Saturday.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the election reports that accreditation and voting commenced at 8 am at Polling Units 001, 003, 004, 005, and 006 of Ward 01, Ibeju Registration Area.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and materials arrived the polling units before 8 am and they units were open at 8 am.

Security personnel, comprising Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) were also around to provide security in all the polling units.

The voter turnout was however low as INEC officials on the ground were seen waiting for voters to come out to vote.

Voters were trickling into the polling units at 10 am in most of the polling units.

Erinle Kazeem, the Baale of Okegun Odofin in Ibeju-Lekki, said he was sure that the supplementary election would be peaceful.

The traditional ruler, who cast his vote at about 10 am at polling until 001 of Ward 01, however, said that the notice for the supplementary election was short.

He said that many of the youths and residents of the area had left for the Lagos metropolis for different engagements.

Fatimon Ashafa, APC agent at PU 001 said: ”We were not aware of this supplementary election until Thursday and we went out to inform our people, though the notice was too late.

The PDP agent, Suru Fashinu at same unit told NAN that the supplementary election had never happened in the area and most residents were not aware of it.

Mr Fashinu, who adjudged the election to be free and fair, expressed concern over the low voter turnout.

Gbemisola Omoshola, the PDP agent at PU 006 at the junction of Ajewole said that the election had been smooth without any problem.

NAN reports that INEC is conducting the supplementary election in nine polling units of Ibeju-Lekki state constituency I for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat.

The commission had declared the March 9 house of assembly election in the constituency inconclusive because of over-voting in the nine polling units covering two Registration Areas (Ward) of the constituency.

The affected polling units in Ibeju Registration Area I are polling units 001, 003, 004, 005, 006, and 009, while that of Iwerekun Registration Area I are polling units 002, 004, and 005 (NAN)