INEC postpones gov election in 10 Lagos polling units

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the postponement of governorship and state assembly elections in 10 polling units in the Victoria Garden City of Lagos State.

The elections were shifted from Saturday March 18 to Sunday March 19 due to safety issues.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner for INEC, Segun Agbaje, announced this on Saturday when he addressed journalists covering the election at the VGC, Lekki.

He said the corps members deployed as ad hoc staff for the Saturday poll were unwilling to enter the VGC estate as they alleged that they were held hostage in the February 25 presidential and National Assembly poll.

Agbaje said the commission’s ad hoc staff had set up voting materials in front of the estate on Saturday but the estate residents claimed that hoodlums might disrupt the process, so they did not feel secure and could not cast their votes.

He said the situation was difficult for security agents to contain hence he and his team had to come to the area.

“We have eight polling units here with 6,024 registered voters and out of which 5,624 people have their PVCs,” he stated.

He added that two other polling units at the estate’s main gate were affected. “Eight here (in the estate) and two outside,” he noted.

“After due consultation and further directive from the national headquarters that we should remobilise here tomorrow (Sunday) morning by 08:30am to conduct the elections.

“By 08:30am tomorrow (Sunday), we will reconvene here.”

Agbaje said the chairman of the security committee of the estate had assured the commission of the safety of the corps members and INEC staff as well as the safety of voters.

The polling units affected are PU 032,033, 119 -124.

The governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Tunde Doherty, whose polling unit is in the VGC berated INEC for poor arrangement.