General elections: Intimidation, violence characterise polls in Lagos

…As thugs disrupt voting in Lekki, other areas in Lagos

BY BENJAMIN OMOIKE

There were reports of voter intimidation and ethnic discrimination at some polling units across Lagos State, allegedly by persons supporting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the presence of security officials.

Voting was largely peaceful in the state, but some videos have emerged showing pro-APC supporters insisting on the party or tribe that can be allowed to vote.

In one of the videos, head of the Lagos State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, could be heard threatening any Igbo who dared to vote in the area.

“Any Igbo wen dem born well, make e come vote again; me I dey here,” Mc Oluomo said, as a police officer standing by, tapped him on the back, apparently trying to appease him as voters stood watching with shock.

A second video captured a man clearly telling voters they would only be allowed to vote for the APC.

“If you no fit vote APC for here, go your house. Nobody force you come here. I go come check am. If I see you vote another party, you go enter one chance. We no come joke for here,” the unidentified man yelled.

Political thugs believed to be backing the ruling party also disrupted voting at Oba Yekini, Elegushi street; Ikate, Lekki; Akinyele street in Aguda, Surulere and Fadeyi areas of Lagos State, scattering ballot boxes and interfering with the election process, in the presence of security personnel.

“I collected a couple of slaps for fighting back before I got pulled from the melee, into a house for my safety. Now I have to be smuggled out of the voting area because I have been marked,” a journalist and CEO of Afrobeats Intelligence, Joey Akan, said.

Reports say officials of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) had arrived at Oba Elegushi after residents staged a protest chanting “we must vote” and with improved military presence, voting resumed later in the area.

Some thugs equally disrupted voting process in Elegushi, Ikate area of Lekki and other parts of the state.

According to an eyewitness, the thugs scattered the setup of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), officials on Saturday.

“At my polling unit here near the Oba Elegushi’s palace, some thugs did not allow us to vote. They scattered everywhere saying that we cannot vote here and that if we want to vote we can go to Anambra to vote,” the eyewitness told Channels Television.

There were also reports of disruptions in other areas in Lagos including Aguda, Ojo, Oshodi, Aguda and some parts of Surulere, among others. Security operatives however, arrived in the area to calm fraying nerves.

Confirming that there were “isolated instances of thuggery” in some parts of Lagos, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, described the situation as an admixture.

“It was an admixture of very peaceful conduct in most parts but we also recorded isolated instances of thuggery. Like I said earlier, we anticipated them and we have multiple teams to respond in the fastest manner.

“We were able to stabilise the situation and rescue the INEC officials,” he said.

“I can confirm that several arrests have been made but as at this moment it is still an ongoing process. So, I cannot conclusively say this is the number of polling units where violence was recorded but at the end of the day, we will do a post-election evaluation and come up with specifics,” the Police Commissioner added.