The gubernatorial and state assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, March 18, in 10 polling units in Lagos State’s Victoria Garden City (VGC) have been postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This was made public by Segun Agbaje, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, while addressing newsmen at VGC.
He claimed that on Saturday, the corps members who had been assigned as ad hoc staffs were reluctant to enter the VGC estate because they held hostage during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25.
According to Agbaje, the commission’s ad hoc staff had put up voting materials in front of the estate on Saturday, but the inhabitants of the estate complained that hoodlums may interfere with the election, making them feel unsafe and preventing them from voting.
He claimed that it was challenging for security personnel to control the situation, which is why he and his team had to come down to the area.
“We have eight polling units here with 6,024 registered voters and out of which 5,624 people have their PVCs,” he stated, adding that two other polling units at the estate’s main gate were also affected. “Eight here (in the estate) and two outside,” he noted.
“After due consultation and further directive from the national headquarters that we should remobilise here tomorrow (Sunday) morning by 08:30am to conduct the elections.
“By 08:30am tomorrow (Sunday), we will reconvene here.”
The chairman of the estate’s security committee, according to Agbaje, gave the commission assurances on the security of corps members, INEC employees, and voters.
Some of the affected polling units include PU 032, 033, 119 -124.
The Action Democratic Congress (ADC) gubernatorial candidate, Tunde Doherty criticized INEC for the inadequate planning, describing the election process as being “unfortunate.” Tunde Doherty’s polling place is in the VGC.
