…as disappointing low voter turnout raises concerns among officials of LASIEC.
Lagos, Nigeria – The iNews Times reports that despite the early deployment of electoral materials and personnel, Saturday’s local government elections in Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area witnessed a low voter turnout.
The disappointing development raised concerns among officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
At several polling units across the council area, attendance remained sparse even hours after the official commencement of voting.
At Polling Unit 036, where 56 voters were expected, election officials confirmed that only a handful had shown up by mid-morning.
“We’ve been here since 8 a.m. but not many people have shown up,” one official who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
A similar scenario played out at Polling Unit 020, Ward 2, where only two of the 94 registered voters had cast their ballots as of the time of reporting.
“So far, it’s been peaceful and no disturbances,” said another official, adding, however, that the low turnout was “discouraging.”
The contrast was even starker in Ward C. At Polling Unit 048, out of 1,273 registered voters, only 20 had voted by 11 a.m. Meanwhile, at the adjacent Polling Unit 049, just seven out of 1,029 registered voters had participated.
“We’ve been stationed here since early morning, but most people have yet to come out,” said an electoral officer at the scene.
The elections, which are being conducted across Lagos State’s 20 constitutionally recognized Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), are aimed at filling key chairmanship and councillorship positions crucial to grassroots governance.
However, chronic challenges such as voter apathy, inadequate civic education, and logistical bottlenecks continue to affect participation in local elections.
LASIEC has acknowledged these issues and pledged improvements in future exercises.
As of press time, voting was still ongoing in parts of Ikosi-Isheri, with officials hopeful for a late surge in voter participation.
