How Lagos LG election flopped, card reader failed at some polling units

The local government election conducted in Lagos State on Saturday flopped in several ways. While the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) struggled to ensure smooth election, majority voters boycotted the election, leaving polling units empty.

Some voters declared loss of confidence in the electoral process, alleging that the results have been determined before voting held. So, they had no need to waste their time, some said. They challenged this Reporter to watch the announcement of the results, asserting that all candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would be declared winners of the LG election.

The LASIEC worked assiduously to distribute materials and officials at scheduled time, using vehicles, Keke, and motorbike (Okada)to convey materials and staff to different locations in the state.

However, at most polling units, the card reader failed to function, causing delays and in some instances continuing the voting process without the use of card readers.

Curiously, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon.  Femi Gbajabiamila, decried that the card reader at his polling unit failed during the LG election.

Gbajabiamila noted that the magnitude of the card reader failure was an indication that Nigeria is not ready for electronic transmission of results.

Speaker Gbajabiamila was of the view that the card reader failed because of poor network coverage in the state.

The Saturday LG election in Lagos was unusually unpopular as the mass voters boycott left the election to be won by minority decisions. The electoral process would only give legality to the emergent LG officials, a process that started from the APC primary election, but would lay heavy legitimacy burden of the winners.