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.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, participated in the ongoing local government elections on Saturday by casting his vote on Lagos Island.

The governor, accompanied by his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, arrived at polling units 06 and 07 located within St. Stephen Nursery and Primary School, Adeniji Adele Road, around 11:00 am. He completed the voting process at 11:28 am.

Similarly, Deputy Governor Kadri Hamzat cast his ballot earlier at 11:05 am at his polling unit in Oke-Balogun, Epe.

The elections are being held across the state to fill chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship positions in the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Lagos.

The Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has established two Local Government Election Appeal Tribunals to handle post-election petitions.

The newly inaugurated tribunals will operate concurrently, with one seated on Lagos Island and the other in Ikeja.

Each panel comprises four chief magistrates, led by retired High Court judges.

Justice Taofikat Oyinkan-Abdullahi (Retd.) will head the Lagos Island tribunal.

The panel includes Magistrates Michael Olubi, Olaitan Ajayi, Salamah Matepo, and Hotepo Lazarus.

At the Ikeja tribunal, Justice Sherifah Solebo (Retd.) will preside, with Magistrates Davies Rasak, Oluwatosin Fowowe-Erusiafe, Adepeju Odusanya, and Lynda Balogun serving as members.

Speaking during the inauguration at the High Court Conference Room in Ikeja on Friday, Justice Alogba charged the appointees to uphold the law with integrity and professionalism.

“You must act strictly within the purview of the law. The confidence I have in your character, experience, and sense of judgment informed your appointment. I urge you to uphold justice without fear or favour, and resist all forms of bias or intimidation,” he stated.

He went on to stress the legal framework governing the operations of the tribunals, noting the timelines mandated by the 2016 Amendment of the Lagos State Local Government Law.

“Any decision or action taken outside the legally prescribed time limit is a nullity and of no legal effect,” he emphasised.

According to the law, election petitions must be filed within 21 days after results are declared, and the tribunal is required to conclude its sittings within 45 days.

Justice Alogba concluded by reminding the panelists of the wider public expectations of judicial impartiality.

“Lagos State judiciary is well known for its integrity and as a torchbearer in the nation’s judiciary. I enjoin you to go out and put in your best so that the results that come out from your decisions will be appreciated by society,” he said.

A crisis is brewing in Amankanu Ohofia, a community in Oduma, Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, as a long-running dispute over traditional leadership deepens, raising fears of a potential outbreak of violence.

The Indivisible Umuolo Family, one of the nine founding kindreds of the community, has sounded the alarm, accusing certain individuals of attempting to disrupt the long-established chieftaincy rotation system.

The kindred warns that unless urgent action is taken, the situation may escalate beyond control.

In a statement to the press, the family called on Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Aninri Council Chairman, Ugochukwu Nwanjoku and other stakeholders to step in and restore calm.

“Our land has been under fire for the past 10 years since autonomy was granted,” the statement read.

“We want peace. Our people want peace. Amankanu deserves peace. But there cannot be real peace unless there is fairness. We are calling on the Enugu State Government, Aninri council chairman, and the general public to come to the rescue of our dear land.”

The Umuolo kindred claims that the root of the conflict lies in alleged efforts to overturn the rotational kingship arrangement that has guided leadership succession among the nine kindreds.

The tradition, they note, is supported by the community’s constitution and operates strictly by seniority.

Amankanu Ohofia was formed through the peaceful unification of Amankanu Ndi Ulo (Group A) and Amankanu Ndi Agu (Group B) and has adhered to a rotational leadership structure since it gained autonomy.

As the eldest kindred, Umuolo insists that it is their legitimate turn to produce the next traditional ruler.

“Our constitution clearly stipulates that kingship should rotate according to seniority,” the group emphasized.

“As the eldest kindred, it is our turn. But some have resorted to underhand tactics to deny us what is rightfully ours. Our birthright is not for sale.”

They warned that any attempt to violate this established constitutional order would amount to trampling on the community’s long-held customs and could result in serious unrest.