Voters await INEC officials at Ogudu, Epe,Ebute-Meta, Others

As Nigerians go to poll on Saturday, voters in Ogudu, Epe, Ebute-Meta and other part of Lagos bemoaned the late arrival of electoral materials by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Voters at Ramat Crescent, Kolawole Ashimi St., Alhaja Abass St., and Buari St. In Ogudu area arrived as early as 7am for accreditation and to cast their votes.In Polling Unit D, Ward 044 located at Ramat Crescent, numbered tags were distributed among residents to ensure orderliness and to ensure individuals vote on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis.

Some voters who rose up early to cast their votes at several polling units in Lagos had to wait for the arrival of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials as polls opened in the country at 8.00 a.m.

In Epe, few voters at the Ogunmodede Junior and Senior College in Papa Epe, Epe, where Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State is expected to vote, were still awaiting INEC officials as at 8.21 a.m.

Few security officials were also on ground at the school.

In Ebute-Meta West, some voters who arrived early complained about INEC officials’ absence at Apapa Road Ward 004a and 004b, Elena Primary School.

As at 8:25 a.m, voters continued to hang around the Ebute-Meta West ward for the election which was supposed to kick off by 8:00 a.m.

Eligible voters in Badagry, a coastal town in Lagos State, besieged different voting units as early as 7:00 a.m. awaiting the arrival of Independent National Electoral Commission official to conduct election.

More than 300 voters at the Ansar-Udeen Grammar School, Badagry for polling units 03 and 04, waiting for INEC officials.

As at 8:20 a.m., the situation was the same at Badagry Grammar School, which would serve as one of the collation centres, as well as polling units 01 and 02, where the officials of INEC were seen waiting endlessly for vehicles to take them to different polling units.

One of the polling officers said they slept in the school so that they could get to their destinations on time.

According to her, we are still waiting for the vehicles that will convey us to our polling units.

Meanwhile, INEC officials have arrived Ikoga, Igborosun, Pota polling units as early 8:04 a.m. and the voting process has commenced.

Mr Tunji Akande, a voter at Badagry Grammar School said it was sad that when voters left their homes as early as 6:00 a.m. and walked to the polling station, they had to wait till 9:00 a.m. for INEC officials.

“This is unfortunate; we learnt the election will start by 8:00 a.m. but unfortunately, nothing is happening here,” he said.he bus conveying the officials arrived at 8:42 a.m. and carried the stranded INEC officials to their duty posts.Accreditation and voting were yet to commence at Polling Unit 009 at Daura Road/Ashanti/Randle Roads in Apapa, as of 8.45 a.m.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Jimi Agbaje, is expected to vote at the polling unit.

Voters as many as 50 were seen on the queue, waiting for the commencement of the process.Though electoral officers arrived the polling units with materials on time, they spent much time pasting voter registers and making other preparations for the process.

The situation at the polling unit, however, remained calm as voters were orderly and security men were around to check any breach of peace.The situation was the same at polling unit 1, Modiq /Fagbayi/Queens Barracks in Apapa as the process commenced..

Unlike at Agbaje’s polling unit, where there was a long queue of voters waiting, the electoral officers were the ones waiting for voters.As of 9:00 a.m., a couple of voters were seen arriving at the polling unit to partake in the process.