Bye-election: Lagos official blames voter apathy on free movement

The Lagos State Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Anofiu Elegushi, has attributed the low turnout of voters in the Eti-Osa bye-election to lack of movement restriction.

Elegushi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Lagos State Government did not impose movement restriction since the election had to do with only a local government area.

The acting commissioner spoke with NAN after casting his vote at Polling Unit 008, Ward 4, Lekki/Ikate.

NAN reports that the bye-election organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) resulted from the death of Mr Kazeem Alimi, who represented the constituency in the state House of Assembly.

Alimi died on July 18.

“With what I have seen so far, because of the lack of restriction of movement, the turnout is very low.

“However, there cannot be restriction order for this kind of election because it involves just a constituency under the state arrangement.

“Under the federal arrangement, it is just a local government area, and we cannot stop people from other local government areas from moving in or out of the area.

“Even for those people who will be going as far as Epe, we cannot stop them from passing through the express roads. Enforcing a restriction order is very difficult in this situation because the election is not general,’’ he said.

Elegushi commended INEC for peaceful conduct of the election.

He said that INEC workers arrived in time and were up to their task.

“The only distraction was that a card reader machine malfunctioned in few areas but there were alternative measures so as not to disenfranchise people.

“It has been a very peaceful election so far,’’ he said.