Low Turnout Hits Lagos LG Polls as Voters Demand Cash Before Voting

The Lagos local government elections held on Saturday were marked by low voter turnout across parts of Kosofe Local Government Area, with reports of voters demanding payment before participating in the electoral process.

An agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alli Olugbenga, raised concerns at Ward C in Kosofe, where he said several residents refused to head to the polling units unless they received money. According to him, efforts to mobilize people were met with demands for cash, with some insisting they would only vote if they were “settled.”

At Polling Unit 028 in the same ward, only two out of 106 registered voters had shown up by mid-morning. APC agents reported making calls to known voters and patiently waiting since voting began at 8:00 a.m. Similar scenes played out at Polling Unit 029, where just six voters had participated out of 160 on the register by 11:33 a.m.

Despite the poor turnout, voting at the affected units was described as calm. Party agents from various parties reportedly cooperated with each other, and the environment remained peaceful throughout the morning.

However, frustration was building among some political party representatives. A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agent at one of the units voiced disappointment over the apathy, saying voters had simply chosen to stay home rather than exercise their right.

Polling Unit 015, also located in Ward C, recorded only about 20 votes from a pool of 928 registered voters by midday. Electoral officers monitoring the unit said the process had been orderly but noted that residents seemed uninterested in participating.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission is conducting elections across 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas to fill important grassroots leadership roles. However, the events in Kosofe and surrounding areas have once again raised concerns about voter engagement in local elections.

Ikosi-Isheri and other communities in the Kosofe area mirrored this trend, with officials and agents left waiting while voters stayed away. The continued low participation rate threatens the strength of democratic governance at the local level, where government decisions often have the most immediate impact on daily life.