Gunshots, Heavy Security in Lagos as Polls Open

Nothing is being left to chance in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic honeypot  as voters troop out to elect the state governor and lawmakers amid heavy security presence this Saturday.

Residents revealed that  a staccato of gunshots was heard for over an hour from about 4 a.m. around Coker-Aguda area, where two Hilux vans were also seen moving soldiers around.

In a bid to prevent a repeat of pockets of violence witnessed in some parts of Lagos during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has threatened to do away with leaders of transport unions in Lagos who encourage violence in their constituencies.

Tinubu spoke at a meeting with leaders of road transport unions in Lagos.

“There must be no violence in any of our local governments. Anyone of you whose local government records violence is gone.”

According to early reports today, stern-looking soldiers manned many roads as early as 6 a.m to effect the movement restriction order.

This was unlike the February 23 election, which had only a few areas blocked by soldiers thereby leaving room for commercial bus drivers to flout the rules.

Soldiers reportedly blocked passage of motorists, as only officials of INEC and those on official duties were allowed to pass.

Some of the areas blocked included Abesan Gate, Ipaja, Moshalashi area, Alimosho, Idimu Road, Ikotun area among others.

Voters were seen walking or standing in groups outside their houses, getting set to move to the polling units to exercise their civic responsibility.

The polling units opened at 8 am.

At polling units 1 to 13 in Gowon Estate in Alimosho Local Government Area, INEC officials were seen as early as 6.45a.m with their election materials.

While some INEC officials were busy moving materials and personnel out of their various Registration Area Centres (RAC) at about 7.00 a m, some were found at their various polling units.

Meanwhile, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Mr Sam Olumekun, said that the electoral body was good to go and ready to give residents of the state free and fair elections on Saturday.

Olumekun gave the assurance while speaking on the readiness of the commission for the exercise in the state, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday night.

In Lagos, the voters are electing a Governor and 40 members of the state House of Assembly today.

Supplementary elections will also take place in six federal constituencies in the state where the National Assembly elections held on Feb. 23 were inconclusive.

Forty-five governorship candidates across various political parties will be vying for the number one seat in the state.

Also, 640 candidates of various parties are eyeing the 40 seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly in the election.