As the state holds its local government elections, movement throughout Lagos State has been officially restricted from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. today, Saturday.
CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, signed a statement earlier Thursday announcing the updated restriction order on behalf of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police. Residents with scheduled appointments, medical emergencies, or plans to travel abroad are intended to have more flexibility under the new directive.
The State’s 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) have movement restrictions. During this time, only essential workers are allowed to move around, including emergency personnel, representatives of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), election observers, and journalists who have a valid accreditation.
Additionally, unless authorized by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), the statement forbids the use of armed escorts, cars with covered license plates, sirens, and quasi-security or state agency vehicles. Party agents were just starting to show up to set up polling stations in Ojodu Berger, which is under Ikeja LGA, at 9:00 a.m. While some voters left to return later, many early-arriving voters were observed waiting.
Police officers are actively enforcing the movement restriction and keeping the area around the polling places in order at Ojodu Berger, where there are at least four polling units. The security presence is obviously tight.
In 57 local government areas and local council development areas, 139 candidates from 10 political parties are vying for chairmanship positions, according to LASIEC. In addition, 14 political parties are fielding 842 candidates for councillorships in the state’s 376 wards.
According to LASIEC, 15 of the 19 political parties that expressed interest in the election submitted their lists of candidates.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is the most represented party, with candidates running in all 376 wards and all 57 councils. The Labour Party is putting up candidates for 22 chairmanships and 130 councillorships, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is running in 45 councils and 259 wards.
The Zenith Labour Party has 21 candidates for council seats and six candidates for chairmanships. Accord, African Action Congress (AAC), Action Alliance (AA), Allied People’s Movement (APM), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Youth Party (YP), Action Peoples Party (APP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Young Progressive Party (YPP) are additional parties that have candidates.
