Late arrival of LASIEC officials delays voting in Ifako-Ijaiye

By Innocent Raphael –

Voting is yet to commence at Ward C1, Unit 027 in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, as officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and security personnel were still absent as of 9:00 a.m., despite the scheduled start time of 8:00 a.m. for the local government elections.

As of the time of filing this report on Saturday, July 12, there was no presence of electoral officials or security agents at the polling unit where the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate and incumbent, Prince Usman Akanbi Hamzat, is expected to cast his vote.

The delay in the arrival of electoral materials and personnel has raised concerns among voters and party supporters who had gathered early in anticipation of a smooth accreditation and voting process.

A visit by Western Post to another polling unit within the LGA — Ward A, Unit 8 — revealed a similar situation. Voters were seen waiting patiently, but there was still no sign of LASIEC officials or security personnel on ground.

Residents across the wards expressed concern that the late commencement could affect voter turnout and the overall credibility of the exercise.