Relief Over Peaceful Elections in Lagos

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Mark Mayah

1 May 2011

Lagos — At exactly 6.30 pm on Tuesday, April 26, commercial motor-cyclists especially, were out on the roads again.

The voting was over and many shop owners had begun to open for business as Lagosians tried to resume normal life.

The governorship and state House of Assembly elections had ended and Lagosians who had thronged polling stations in their hundred of thousands were happy that at last, the 2011 general election was over.

There was a perceptible feeling of relief in the entire Alimosho area as well as other areas of the Lagos metropolis.

Much of the relief was particularly because it ended well and peacefully, without any of the much-dreaded violent confrontation between supporters of opposing parties.

Lagosians were happy to exhale their long-bated breath “happy,” as one Alimosho resident, Demola Oseni put it on Tuesday “to realise that God indeed answered our prayer in this.

“We had worried over what would happen especially since this area plays such an important role in whoever wins elections in Lagos state.

“We prayed and God heard us. Yes, we are happy that there was no violence,” he said.

The peaceful nature of the exercise was perhaps, a befitting tribute to the dogged patience of Lagosians who defied the sun, then the rain, to cast their votes.

The exercise, the first to be conducted under Prof. Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had started with noticeable hiccups, when the commission’s workers and the election materials arrived late at the various polling stations.

Voters were patiently waiting at polling stations at Omiata, Alagbele, Oke-odo, Baale area off Adeniyi street,Ijaiye, Jankara, off Lagos/Abeokuta expressway, pleasure, ward 008 on Morocco street when the materials arrived.

The same is said of ward 009 on Salami Shaibu street, 058 at Ogudu GRA, ward 083 located within Ogudu GRA, ward 066 on Sanni Jigide/Osogbo street, Ogudu GRA, ward 016 at Gbagada phase I and ward 091 at Kosofe market at mile 12, all in Somolu council.

When the exercise started, the voters, men and women defied the sun and later the brief shower described by many as ‘shower of blessings” to make sure they voted.

Preparations for the election were at a peak from Monday evening when Lagosians went to the market and shopping complexes to stock food items in their homes.

Part of the reason for the last minute rush which caused traffic jams in parts of the metropolis was the anxiety and the tension that had built up from cases of violence recorded in some parts of the city during the campaigns.

Traffic congestion all over Lagos on Monday evening was so severe that commercial bus operators took advantage of the situation to hike fares. Prices of food items also rose as residents were desperate to part with as much cash as they could manage in order to have enough food items in their homes.

The curfew imposed on the state and the withdrawal of police security details to political office holders, made matters worse.

Those who were not sure tried frantically to inquire from their friends to confirm if there were restrictions to movements.

But contrary to the fear that the state might be engulfed in riotous violence, reports from various parts of the metropolis proved otherwise.

While there was a generally visible presence of armed military personnel stationed at strategic parts of the metropolis to ensure a peaceful election, the people themselves, it appeared had opted for peace.

Apart from the few skirmishes in parts of the state, which were however contained, voting in most parts of the state was smooth and peaceful.

Generally however, the exercise expected to begin as early as 8.00 am did not start in some places till 10.00 am due to late arrival of officials and materials.

Eager voters moved from one polling station to the other in search of their names.

Those who could not find their names in the voters registers got frustrated and retired to their homes.

In some stations within Ogudu GRA, accreditation could have started as early as 8.00 am when large numbers of voters turned up.

They were, however, forced to wait for INEC officials, who later arrived even without electoral materials.

The report of the hijack of electoral materials by hoodlums at Epe council, however, caused a stir in the area which could have led to a breakdown of law and order but for the intervention of security agents who arrested the men and awaiting trial any moment from now.

In Oshodi and Mushin areas, the exercise was peaceful without the feared violence.

Many of the residents could not vote because of late arrival of electoral materials.

The voting at Abesan Estate, Ipaja did not begin until 1.30 pm because of late arrival of the electoral officers and their materials.

When they eventually started, the exercise was orderly and progressed rapidly.

In Ajao Estate and Mafoluku area, the election was peaceful, as there was a heavy presence of security agents in the area.

Between 8.00 am and 9.00 am, people had had already turned up at many centers to begin with the process of voting. The peaceful conduct was a far cry from the violence that had reared its head in the Mafoluku area on Monday when hoodlums, pretending to be party agents attacked people.

Looking back at the elections, Jimoh Jinadu, who monitored the voting in surulere, said there was need to improve on the subsequent polls in future.

“Though the elections went peacefully in Lagos, there is need to work harder and get it even better next time.

“That there was violence in some parts of the country leaves much to be desired,’ he said

Then he added, “we thank God it was quiet in Lagos”.

In the word of Blessing Okere, running mate to CPC governorship candidate in the state, “Nigeria needs to fine-tune the electoral process, making it more modernised than what was witnessed in the just concluded general elections.”

According to him, the process whereby local government officials were involved in the electoral process as ad-hoc staff should be discouraged in future election process.

Said he: “when you engage staff of local councils in election matters, where do you think their allegiances fall to. Is it to the opposition’s parties or the sitting governor?

Okere, whose party came fifth in the just concluded governorship election in the state, urged the electoral body to repackage its electoral laws to exempt council officials from active participation in the electoral process as umpire.

But, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora described the entire electoral process in Lagos state as a triumph of hope, adding that “the people have spoken and their trust on all the elected candidates would be translated into provision of infrastructures and services. He commended INEC and the electorate over their conduct before, during and after the elections.

And on Wednesday, April 27, at exactly 3.28pm, Professor Bola Akinterinwa, acting Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs [NIIA] and the chief returning officer for Lagos state in the gubernatorial election, declared Babatunde Fashola [SAN] as winner of the Lagos state governorship election. The declaration diffused tention and anxiety that had built up since the polls ended on the previous day-Tuesday evening.

Before then the Birrel Avenue, Yaba Lagos state secretariat of the INEC was like a war zone. Three amoured vehicles were stationed in some strategic locations around the vicinity. Hordes of heavily armed Mobile policemen milled around. Reporters were thoroughly screened and those without the INEC accreditation card and the media identity cards were thrown out. Later a lorry-load of soldiers came to re-enforce security in the area.

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