THE much-awaited local government
election in Lagos State took place
Saturday October 22, in the 20 local
governments recognised by the Federal
Government and the state-created 36
local council development areas.
It was the first time the opposition
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fully
participated in the council polls, having
previously raised issues of legality of
the 36 LCDAs.
It was, however, a shame of an
election as eligible voters literally chose
to stay away, saying there was no
reason to bother as government had
failed to solve the most basic of
problems, among them road repairs.
In all the council areas, the turnout of
voters was abysmally low. Barely 10 per
cent of registered voters cast their
votes in the various polling booths
visited, and the voters register itself
only includes roughly 30 per cent of
eligible adults.
This apathy in the view of analysts
signals loss of confidence in government
by the people and a foreboding of a
people's revolution, similar to what
happened lately in several Maghreb
countries.
Most of those who spoke with The
Moment on Sunday did not consider as
far-fetched a civil upheaval that would
upturn the status quo. For instance,
former president of the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba
(SAN), said the people are fed up with
government, as it has disappointed the
people.
'All they tell Nigerians are lies. There is
no more confidence in the government.
They collect taxes from the people and
use it for purposes that do not serve
the interest of the people. All the
government talk about is increase in
taxes, in rates, removal of fuel subsidy.
And all the people get from the
government is pain and increase in
suffering', Agbakoba said.
He expressed disappointment in his
learned colleague, Governor Babatunde
Fashola (SAN) of Lagos State, who he
said he thought was doing very well. 'His
achievements have waned', Agbakoba
said. 'Even my favourite governor, Peter
Obi, has laid the foundation for the loss
of APGA in Anambra in 2014 by not
performing'.
Similarly, Tunji Shelle, a retired Navy
Captain and state's secretary of the PDP
in Lagos, said he is not surprised at the
turnout. Shelle offered that the local
government system in the state has
been bastardised by lack of conscience
by the state government and the greed
of the godfathers in the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
'They have succeeded in pocketing the
imposed chairmen in the hands of the
ACN's government that relies on loading
ballot boxes to win rather than good
governance. Who is to blame? Of course,
the elites are the ones overrating
Fashola's government, thereby,
distorting the real situation of
governance in the state', he said.
'It is very sad because we shall all be
made to pay the price for deceit,
propaganda and cheating. I don't foresee
a revolution but definitely some greedy
and fake democrats in the system will
not go unpunished', Shelle added.
Another PDP's chieftain, the party's
senatorial candidate in Lagos Central,
Alhaji Tolagbe Animashaun, pronounced
an inevitable revolution. His words: 'I
agree with the postulation that the low
turn-out signals an inevitable revolution
in Lagos State. Their apathy is borne out
of the belief that their votes will never
count as the ruling ACN's government
will rig the outcome, anyway'.
A number of ACN's leaders, among them
Cardinal Odunbaku and the state's
publicity secretary, Joe Igbokwe,
declined to pick their calls.

Zenanted:

It was, however, a shame of an
election as eligible voters literally chose
to stay away, saying there was no
reason to bother as government had
failed to solve the most basic of
problems, among them road repairs.
In all the council areas, the turnout of
voters was abysmally low. Barely 10 per
cent of registered voters cast their
votes in the various polling booths
visited, and the voters register itself
only includes roughly 30 per cent of
eligible adults.
This apathy in the view of analysts
signals loss of confidence in government
by the people and a foreboding of a
people's revolution, similar to what
happened lately in several Maghreb
countries.

It is definitely a shame on those who refused to show up. Abstaining from voting is NOT an option.

U tink so. It is beta i sleep at hom dan go out dere wastin my time votin on an already concuded election. What is d Value added even if i vote,

I learnt Joe Igbokwe just left channels TV,speaking nothing but jagons. Even when ACN lost in Shomolu and some other places and are not ready to concede defeat.

dankol:

U tink so. It is beta i sleep at hom dan go out dere wastin my time votin on an already concuded election. What is d Value added even if i vote,

People have seen through the annoying dross we were being sold. There is hope for Nigeria.

can somebody kindly give us the lagos state lga election results update?

I was in Ikoyi on saturday, people did dare the rain and trooped out to vote.