Lagos: Commercial activities grounded, roads deserted as residents elect LG chairmen, councillors

Lagos: Commercial activities grounded, roads deserted as residents elect LG chairmen, councillors

Major roads leading to the nation’s commercial capital were deserted on Saturday as Lagos residents were out to cast their votes in the local government elections.

The Ngeria Police had announced that movement would be restricted from 6 am to 3 pm in the state.

Vehicular passage at the Admiralty-Lekki Toll Gate was strictly prohibited due to police presence, according to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Police officers were stationed at the gate enforcing the restriction and turning back vehicles.

Only essential personnel, such as INEC officials, electoral observers, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, firefighters, and security operatives on election duty, were allowed to pass through.

There were no vehicular or human movements from Otedola Road to Ojota and Yaba.

It is the same report on other major roads such as Agege Motor Road, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and Iyana Ipaja-Ikotun road and Isheri-Igando-LASU road.

Newstrends however found out that in areas such as Ijegun, Idimu, Isolo and Ilasa, some tricycle operators were at work on the inner streets but had limited passengers to move.

Also, Channels TV reported that at the Ojodu LCDA, there were skeletal movements on Ogunusi Road in Ogba and the Berger bus stop.

A security patrol vehicle was used to barricade a section of the road around the Berger pedestrian bridge.

Motorists cleared by security agents in the area were told to reverse and use the expressway.

Registered and accredited Lagosians with the Permanent Voter Card (PVCs) were expected to elect their preferred representatives for chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship positions across the 20 local government areas (LGAs) and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.

There are 13,325 polling units in the 376 wards spread across the state.

Lagos has an estimated population of 20 million people.

Currently, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) maintains political control of the state, which hosts the headquarters of many corporate organisations.

It also contributes a large chunk of revenue to the Federal Government.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) conducted the crucial exercise.

The LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, said no political party was restrained from participating in the elections.

Data from the body shows that 15 out of the 19 registered political parties in the country were confirmed for the chairmanship, vice chairmanship, and councillorship positions in the 20 LGAs and the 37 LCDAs in the state.

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile told Channels Television that the electoral body would not use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the election.

“There are some electronics that we are going to use in between. We can go manual,” she said.

The councils where elections were held are Agege, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Mushin, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo, Shomolu, and Surulere.

The LCDAs are Orile Agege, Ifelodun, Agbado-Oke Odo, Ayobo-Ipaja, Egbe-Idimu, Mosan-Okunola, Oriade, Apapa Iganmu, Olorunda, Badagry West, Eredo, Ikosi-Ejirin, Ikoyi-Obalende, Iru/Victoria Island, and Lekki.

Other LCDAs are Ojokoro, Onigbongbo, Ojodu, Igbogbo-Baiyeku, Ijede, Imota, Ikorodu North, Ikorodu West, Agboyi-Ketu, Ikosi-Isheri, Lagos Island East, Yaba, Odi-Olowo, Iba, Oto-Awori, Ejigbo, Isolo, Bariga, Coker-Aguda, and Itire-Ikate.