The electorate’s disenchantment with governance at the local government level, found expression in the voter apathy recorded in yesterday
Voters waiting to cast their votes at the OLG Nursery and Primary School Polling Unit, Obantoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State… yesterdayPHOTO: GBENGA AKINFENWA
At Kolawole Shonibare/Kolex PU007, Joseph Udechukwu told The Guardian, the turnout was not encouraging, adding that it was difficult convincing people to come out and cast their vote.“Even those that managed to come just looked away. The apathy is a combination of so many factors — the state of the nation , the attitude of the ruling party, and other issues. Many said they couldn’t vote without being given a token. So it’s difficult convincing them with ordinary words,” he said.
“We resumed work at about 7:45 a.m. and the time now is about 1:10 p.m. and have seen only 29 voters.”Visitation to Ward 8, Unit 017, Small London, Block 44, Alhaji Masha Road, Surulere, showed that the turnout was massive. He said: “The only issue is that people are not coming out to vote. I don’t know if they are tired or it is as a result of the economic situation in the country.”According to him, shunning the election is a license for bad leadership and clear approval that the leaders should continue to do what they want.
DESCRIBING the exercise also as peaceful, Mr. Fatai Jinadu, a voter at PU072, Coker/Lafenwa Junction, Ejigbo, said apathy showed by the electorate is not the solution to the country’s political challenges. Rather, people should come out and choose who they want as their leader with their vote. She said: “Even we those we try to canvass told us that there is no point wasting time and energy as the end result of the election is already known. They said everything at the end of the day would end in the usual way. They are sort of fed with the ruling party must win at all cost syndrome.”
SPEAKING with The Guardian on the low turnout of voters, a councillorship candidate of the Youth Party in Ajao Estate, Ward G, Isolo LCDA, Okikiola Taiwo Jalupon, said: “The low turnout is because people are tired of how the country is being run.
In some of the polling units visited, the election was peaceful. Voters were seen applying sanitisers on their hands and coming out one after another before casting their ballot, the majority put on their facemasks while others that had voted loitered; discussing in groups waiting for the outcome of their votes.
Interestingly, the election further exposed the division within the party as the immediate past Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, who is the sitting Senator representing Ogun Central and his followers shunned the poll. A chieftain of the party, Aremo Olusegun Osoba was also absent, likewise the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. It was further learned that the two other Senators representing Ogun West and East were conspicuously absent during the poll.
Prince Abiodun, who spoke after casting his vote at Ward 3, Iperu 1, Unit 002, Ita Osanyin, Iperu, Ikenne Council, acknowledged local government as the closest to the grassroots.
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