APC sweeps Lagos LG polls

•LASIEC chairman expresses satisfaction with election
•Observers seek better mobilisation by political parties
Early returns from yesterday’s local government elections showed that the   All Progressives Congress (APC) was having an easy ride in all parts of the state.
At press time, the party’s candidates had won the chairman position in Lagos Island LG, Badagry West LCDA, Epe LG, Eredo LCDA, Onigbongbo LCDA; Lagos Island East LCDA; Ikorodu LG, Ikorodu West LCDA; Badagry LG; and Ejigbo LCDA
Below are details of the results:

• Lagos Island

Adetoyese Olusi (APC) 14,692
Yisa Ismail (PDP) 925
Kasumu Olanrewaju (LP) 1211

• Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA

Atanda Lawal (APC) 7120
Samuel Akinwole (PDP) 756
Mohammed Jubril (LP) 542

• Eredo LCDA

Rasal Saliu (APC) 10910
Kunle Ayantuga 737

• Epe LG

Dayo Adesanya (APC) 21441
Omobibi (LP) 948

• Lagos Island East

Kamal Olawale (APC) 9060
Adebayo Temitope  (PDP) 1128

• Onigbongbo LCDA

Hakeem Olayemi (Accord Party ) 842
Oke Babatunde (APC) 1631
Badagry West LCDA
Bello Joseph (APC) 5332
Setonji Ojugbele (PDP)  935

• Ejigbo LCDA

Bello Oloyede (APC)4876
Akinlude (PDP) 179

• Ikeja LG

Alabi Balogun (APC) 6191
Olowolagba Omolara (PDP) 990

• Badagry LG

APC 3990
PDP1281
Accord 1597

• Ojokoro

Ward-A
Chairman
APC:  1,351
PDP:  156
Councillor
APC:  1,351
PDP:  156

• Ojokoro Ward-B

Chairman
APC: 912
PDP: 169
ACCORD: 103
Councillor
APC:  880
PDP:  172
ACCORD: 150

• Ojokoro Ward-C

Chairman
APC:  1,786
PDP:  178
LP:     085
ACCORD: 11
Councillor
APC:  1,757
PDP:  196
LP:     070
ACCORD: 13

• Ojokoro Ward-D

Chairman
APC:  1,380
PDP:  133
Councillor
APC:  1,432
PDP:  151

• Ojokoro Ward-E

Chairman
APC:  2,080
PDP:  333
Councillor
APC:  2,060
PDP:  040
Ojokoro Ward-F
Chairman
APC:  1,233
PDP:  119
Councillor
APC:  1,205
PDP:  129

• Ojokoro Ward-G

Chairman
APC:  978
PDP:  152
LP:    082
AA:   04
Councillor
APC:  981
PDP:  130
LP:   088
AA:  05

An early morning downpour and voter’s apathy yesterday had hampered the commencement of the election at 8am as proposed in the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Developments Areas (LCDAs).
It was an anti climax to months of painstaking preparation by the Justice Ayotunde Phillips (retired)-led   State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).
The rain and the attendant flood in parts of the state prevented electoral officials from reaching their duty posts on time.
Thus, accreditation and voting which were supposed to commence at 8am began much beyond the scheduled time and only when the rain subsided.
Besides, many registered voters chose to stay indoors.
Only a few bothered to go out and vote except in  areas where  opposition parties  tried to have a foothold.
They include Mushin, Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ojo, Coker Aguda, Itire-Ikate, Agboyi-Ketu, and some parts of Ikorodu.
Youths turned the roads to temporary football ‘pitches’.
Some party officials attributed the low turnout to inadequate electoral awareness by  the LASIEC.
But Justice Philips dismissed any such suggestion, saying adequate publicity was carried out.
She admitted that these was delay in the commencement of the elections in some areas, which said was caused by rain.
She told reporters at Old Yaba Road while monitoring some polling units the area that the rain affected the movement of electoral materials.
She said all eligible voters would be allowed to exercise their right as there were enough materials.
“We are addressing the situation and we are assuring that everybody in the affected areas will vote once people have been accredited and are on the queue, they will be allowed to vote even after 3pm,” she said.
She expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct in most areas.
Phillips said there were a few cases of violence but said security agents had quelled the situation.
Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Segun Adewale blamed LASIEC for ‘disappointing’ Lagosians.
He said the late arrival of voting materials discouraged some people from voting after waiting for hours at the polling station for voting materials to come.
He also accused supporters of the ruling APC of harassing people.
“People were harassed by members of the ruling APC, my own sister was beaten up and people could not vote before the end of the exercise,” he claimed.
Kebbi State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker Buhari Ailero, who led Election Observers from  other states, hailed the peaceful conduct of the poll.
Ailero confirmed that the election materials were distributed on time to the polling units.
He urged political parties to do more in mobilizing voters in subsequent elections.
Twelve  parties – Accord Party (AP); Action Alliance (AA); Alliance for Democracy ( AD ); All Progressives Congress ( APC ); Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ); Labour Party ( LP ); All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA ); United Democratic Party (UDP); United Progressive Party (UPP); Kowa Party ( KP ); National Action Council ( NAC ); and Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).