As the Lagos local government elections went underway on Saturday, some youths in Alausa, Ikeja, opted to stay away from polling units, choosing instead to play football.

Between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm, a period when voting was in full swing, several groups of young people were seen actively engaged in football matches at three different locations in Alausa.

When approached, many expressed disinterest in the voting process, citing distrust in the system and a belief that the results were predetermined.

“You can’t force me to vote. I chose to play ball, and why will I vote?” said Ayomikun Ola, one of the players.

Opeyemi Omoemi, another youth, echoed similar sentiments.

“We all know that it’s the APC that wins all, as usual. So there is no need for me to disturb myself,” he said.

Also on the pitch was Wasiu, who remarked, “Bro, there is no need. I am satisfied with the football than the vote.”

One of the players, Bayo, explained he was underage. “I haven’t clocked 18, that’s why I didn’t vote. The best is to play football,” he noted.

Nearby, a young woman, Seriki Ganiyat, who was busy attending to customers in her shop, said she couldn’t afford to abandon her business for the elections.

“It’s not necessary. I have children to feed. Imagine if I had to leave my shop to go and vote. What for and what will my children eat this night?” she asked.

Their comments reflected the growing voter apathy and low turnout seen across various parts of the state during the elections.

At Polling Unit 003, Ward 7, only 61 out of 1,000 registered voters had participated by 1:05 pm. Likewise, PU 007 in the same ward had recorded just 30 votes by 1:00 pm, while PU 031 had only four voters from a list of 29 as of 1:12 pm.

In PU 026, a single voter had cast a ballot out of 21 registered. PU 027 saw only five votes from 62 registered voters by 1:43 pm.

The trend continued at Ward F, PU 011, where just 45 voters came out from a pool of 908. PU 085 had no votes cast at all by 1:45 pm, despite having four registered voters.

In Ward C’s PU 004, only 30 out of 913 people had voted as of 1:47 pm, and at Ward F, PU 036, 50 voters had shown up out of 986 by 1:51 pm.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has officially transferred the All Progressives Congress (APC) political structure in Akwa Ibom State to Governor Umo Eno.

The symbolic handover took place on Saturday during the APC Stakeholders Meeting at the Government House Banquet Hall in Uyo, the state capital.

Governor Eno, who recently announced his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, shared the moment via a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, calling it both “emotional and symbolic.”

“I made it clear that this is not an acquisition, it is a merger, and it must be approached with love, unity, and understanding. We all must make sacrifices for the greater good of Akwa Ibom,” Eno wrote.

He emphasized the importance of inclusivity as the APC absorbs new members and unites existing factions.

“I have urged our party leaders, from the wards up, to open their arms and hearts to welcome this move. Let’s build a stronger, united APC together.”

Governor Eno reiterated his commitment to work alongside everyone in the party and to advance the goals of the APC through collaborative leadership.

“My mission remains the same: peace, progress, and prosperity for our people under the ARISE Agenda. Let’s move forward together. God bless Akwa Ibom State.”

Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, has called for the outright cancellation of the ongoing local government elections in Lagos State, citing irregularities and deliberate disenfranchisement.

In a widely circulated video, Bucknor-Akerele alleged that the electoral process was being manipulated to benefit an unnamed political party.

She expressed strong dissatisfaction with how the election was being conducted, especially the reported refusal by officials to allow certain eligible voters to participate.

Speaking on her experience, the former deputy governor said:
“My observations are that obviously, there are plans to rig this election because people have not been able to vote in their units. When you get to your units, they’ll say they’ve been given a list of names. I’ve been to my unit and my name is not there, the unit I’m supposed to be in front of the Eko Hotel was moved to Ajose Adeogun.”

She went on to describe how the relocation of polling units and restricted voter access had created confusion and hindered many from casting their ballots.

“Many people are not able to vote because they’ve completely disrupted all the polling units,” she added.

“I’m calling for the cancellation of this election because there is a clear effort to rig it in favour of one party.”

Local government elections across Lagos State concluded on Saturday, with officials now moving into the sorting and counting phase. Despite the scale of the exercise spanning all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) turnout was significantly low across many polling units.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), through its Chairperson Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, earlier confirmed that 15 political parties were cleared to contest for the various chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship positions.

She noted in a Channels Television interview that, “no political party was restrained from participating in the elections.”

However, reports from the field painted a mixed picture.

At exactly 3:10 pm, LASIEC officially declared the voting process over, with counting and sorting underway in the presence of observers, party agents, and a few voters who remained to monitor proceedings.

Many areas witnessed sparse voter attendance. For example, at PU 18 in Ikate-Itire LCDA, Surulere, only 24 out of 733 registered voters, just 3.5%, had voted as of 2:22 pm.

A nearby polling unit beside Igbayilola Market saw similar voter apathy.

Traders continued with their daily activities, seemingly indifferent to the polls.

A FESTAC resident told DAILY GAZETTE “LASIEC is not here, nobody is coming out to vote. Everybody is scared. APC scared them.”

In Ojota’s PU010, which has 445 registered voters, about 200 had voted by 1:59 pm. Election officers there encountered language barriers.

“They speak only Hausa and do not understand English, but they want to vote,” one official explained. They were waiting for someone bilingual to assist in locating their names.

Political leaders came out to cast their votes despite the low turnout.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, voted at St. Stephen Nursery and Primary School, polling units 06 and 07 in Lagos Island, around 11:00 am.

The governor later said he was pleased with the exercise, commending LASIEC for the smooth process and encouraging more residents to vote.

Earlier, Deputy Governor Kadri Hamzat also voted at Oke-Balogun, Epe, around 11:05 am.

At 12:31 pm, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, cast his ballot at PU 014, Elizabeth Fowler Memorial High School, Surulere, where he was welcomed by supporters and a strong security presence.

As of noon, only 60 of 669 registered voters had cast their votes at that location.

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, after voting in Orile Agege, remarked: “The opposition must put a formidable front to gain power.”

Despite efforts to prepare adequately, logistical hiccups emerged in areas like Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, where LASIEC officials were seen walking to polling units due to insufficient transportation.

A presiding officer revealed that although the transport provider claimed to have delivered the agreed number of buses, they weren’t enough.

At Ikosi-Isheri PU 036, only 6 out of 234 registered voters had shown up by 11:20 am, though both PDP and APC agents were present.

In many areas, voting materials arrived late, causing delays.

In PU 005, Ikeja LGA, accreditation began only after 11:00 am.

Voters said they had been waiting since 8:00 am.

Amid the low turnout, some citizens still demonstrated commitment.

At PU 17, Small London, Surulere, Toyin Davids, a physically challenged woman, cast her vote and described the process as smooth.

She encouraged others living with disabilities to participate, stating that, “no challenge should prevent Lagosians from choosing their representatives.”

Meanwhile, at PU 34 in Alhaji Marshal area, only a handful of voters were seen out of 172 registered.

In Surulere, some youths were seen playing football on Jubril Martins Street, ignoring nearby polling units. Similar indifference was observed across several locations.

As early as 8:43 am, voting had already commenced at St. Stephen Nursery and Primary School, Adeniji Adele, which houses two PUs with a combined 1,300+ registered voters.

A 70-year-old woman was among the early voters, arriving to exercise her civic duty.

At PU 014, Elizabeth Fowler Street, Surulere, accreditation began by 9:01 am, with LASIEC officials, party agents, and police officers present. However, only a few voters turned up.

By 10:46 am, low turnout was also reported in Alimosho and Agege LGAs, compounded by late arrival of materials.

Socialite Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, arrived at Adeniji/Adele polling unit with a group of young men, adding color to the day.

Three days after the conclusion of the BRICS summit in Brazil, uncertainty surrounds the current location of President Bola Tinubu, as the Presidency has yet to offer any public statement or clarity on his return.

Though unofficial reports from sources within the Presidential Villa indicate that the President departed Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, there has been no confirmation about whether he headed directly back to Nigeria or continued to another destination for further engagements.

President Tinubu had arrived in Brazil on July 5, ahead of the BRICS summit held on July 6 and 7.

During the summit, he actively participated in several high-level bilateral meetings, accompanied by key cabinet ministers.

Despite expectations that he would return shortly after the summit concluded, official spokespersons have not issued any statement or update on his current location or travel plans.

This silence from the Presidency has sparked widespread concern among Nigerians. Many are alarmed by what they perceive as a troubling lack of transparency at a time when the public increasingly demands greater openness regarding the activities and health of national leaders.

“None of the official spokespersons for the President have provided any updates on his movement or current location,” the report noted.

As of Friday evening, all efforts to obtain clarification from Presidential aides had proven unsuccessful, with no official comment released regarding President Tinubu’s whereabouts or status.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has expressed confidence in securing a clean sweep of all chairmanship and councillorship seats in Saturday’s local government elections.

Speaking with journalists in Agege, the party’s spokesperson, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said the APC’s expected victory was anchored on its record of performance across various levels of government.

“There is no doubt around APC victory, but it is how massive the voting is, this is because this local government election is a preparation for the 2027 election,” he said.

Oladejo added that the APC remains the dominant political force in Lagos, claiming the opposition is nearly absent in the state.

“So, we are confident that we will win all the 57 Local Governments because the APC is a party of choice.
Aside from this, there is no alternative to APC in Lagos based on our performance at various levels: the local governments, states and federal government.”

Commenting on the conduct of the election, the APC spokesman acknowledged the exercise was generally peaceful but noted that voter turnout could have been better.

“The conversation is now around how our people would come out to vote,” he stated.

“I also need to put it on record that the exercise started a little bit late.
When this happens, there should be an extension of voting time so that we will not deny the people that are supposed to vote.”

He urged more residents to exercise their civic responsibility by coming out to vote for candidates of their choice.

“People are showing enthusiasm to show their civil responsibility,” he said.

Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, has officially resigned from the Labour Party (LP) and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), now rebranded as a coalition of opposition leaders eyeing the 2027 general elections.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja following a closed-door meeting, Senator Kingibe confirmed her defection and expressed confidence in the new platform’s direction.

“As a senator, I am fully committed to ADC. However, as the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, I don’t expect you to just hand me a card,” she stated, indicating that while she has not yet received her official membership card, her commitment to the coalition is unwavering.

Her announcement comes as momentum builds around the ADC-led alliance, which is seeking to unify various opposition forces under a single umbrella in preparation for the next electoral cycle.

In a show of solidarity, the 37 ADC state chairmen including those from the FCT reaffirmed their support for the party’s interim leadership, currently headed by former Senate President David Mark.

The transitional leadership has been tasked with unifying members, expanding party structures nationwide, and coordinating preparations until a formal leadership is elected.

The ADC coalition was formed recently as part of a broader strategy by opposition stakeholders to increase their competitiveness and present a united front in 2027.

Tension flared at polling unit 027 in Ogba, Ifako Ijaiye LGA, Lagos, when supporters of the APC chairmanship candidate, Usman Akanbi Hamzat, assaulted a Labour Party (LP) agent, Spencer Dominic, on Saturday.

According to eyewitnesses, the drama unfolded as the APC backers demanded that Dominic move behind the electoral officers while Hamzat cast his vote.

When he refused, they allegedly dragged and slapped him, even as security personnel stood by without intervening.

With the situation escalating, a few community members stepped forward to halt the assault, restoring calm.

Spencer Dominic recounted the ordeal:

“I have to stay behind the electoral officers, watching the people coming to vote to confirm their voter cards. When the chairman came and asked me to leave the place, I said no, that I needed to view the voters cards of the people.”

“Then, the APC people started beating me.”

One APC official, Gbenga Adebowale, defended the assault, arguing that Dominic shouldn’t have been positioned so closely to the officials:

“The chairman of the council is the existing chairman… you are now asking him his voter card.”

“Who are you? As an agent you want to question the chairman of the local government… there is a rule to every electioneering and polling unit agent officers, there are distance that you must maintain.”

“So when you are standing behind the electoral officers, that means you want to cause problems and that what was they were telling him and he was aggressive about it.”

The incident occurred amid low voter turnout reported across the state during the local government elections.

As local government elections commence across Lagos State, reports from Alimosho and Agege LGAs indicate low voter turnout and delays in the arrival of voting materials.

Visits to several polling units in both areas showed minimal voter presence, with many stations experiencing a late start due to logistical setbacks.