Lagos Deputy Governor decries slow pace of election

Lagos State Deputy Gov. Idiat Adebule, in company with her Husband, Alhaji Saheed Adebule, arrived their polling unit – PU 029 at Iba in Ojo LGA – at 9.45a.m. for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections but could not vote until 11.25a.m.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as at 9a.m., officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were nowhere to be found at the polling unit.

INEC officials arrived at at 9.15a.m., 30 minutes before the arrival of Idiat.

As at 10.50a.m., Adebule, her husband and other eligible voters were still waiting for the INEC officials to set up their machines and be ready to commence the process of voting.

Voting eventually began at 11a.m. and Adebule was accredited at 11.20 a.m. She cast her vote at 11.25a.m.

In her remarks, shortly after casting her vote, Adebule said that the large turnout of voters was impressive but regretted the delay and slow pace of the electoral process in the polling unit..

“Though, it will be early to assess the process, from my end here, the turnout is very impressive. INEC officials were late but people waited patiently for them to be ready.

“My fear is that the pace at which the process is going is very slow.

Considering that we have about 1,385 voters here, I am bit skeptical about all of them being able to vote before the closing time.

“However, I want to believe that INEC officials will hasten up the process so that as many people and everybody here will vast their votes,” she said.

Adebule said she had faith in the electoral umpire to deliver credible elections.

A NAN check at PU 031, also in Iba, Ojo LGA, showed that voting had yet to start as at 11.50a.m.

At PU 047 situated at St. Michael Close in Ojo, voting started at 9.00a.m.

Meanwhile, the immediate past Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos chapter, Mr Tunji Shelle, has prayed that the right candidate will emerge as Nigeriain president.

Voters at Igbo-Efor polling unit in Lekki, Lagos<br />

Shelle came to cast his votes at 9.15 a.m.

“I pray the right candidate emerges as President at the end of the day; the one who can handle the economy, military, agriculture, commerce and every other aspect very well.

“As far as this polling area is concerned, the INEC ad-hoc staff came to their duty posts in time; voting has commenced and people are orderly.

“Voters are conducting themselves well and showing maturity, discipline and decorum.

“Some people are laughing together despite their political differences; I’m impressed with what I have seen so far,” Shelle said.

He prayed that unpatronic Nigerians would not bring strange ballot boxes and mix them up with the legitimate ones’ on ground.

“So far, everything is perfect; votes are going to be counted here and everybody will have the results.

“I have already cast my vote, and as an agent for my party, I’ll be waiting to get all the details of the results from different points throughout Lagos.

“If any registered voters are still at home waiting for someone to come and canvas for their votes, then they are looking for money,” the ex-PDP chairman said.

Also, Mr Arubiewe Abongu, PDP Candidate for Lagos State House of Assembly, Eti-Osa Constituency, said that election was going on smoothly.

He also expressed satisfaction at voters’ turnout.

Abongu hailed INEC officials at the polling booths for starting the voting process early.

“I want voters in Eti-Osa Local Government Area to come out, vote and be law-abiding.

“I want the right candidates to win the elections but preferably in our favour,’’ he said.

NAN reports that accreditation and voting began at 8.40a.m. at the polling units.

Voters turned out in large numbers and were orderly as at the time of the report.

There were not complaints of any faulty card readers or issues with ballot papers.