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Due to the late arrival of electoral authorities, voting in the ongoing elections for chairperson and councillorship in Lagos State’s Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area has not yet begun.

Eager voters at several polling stations were left waiting since representatives of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, had not yet arrived to start the accreditation and voting process, despite the fact that they had turned out in impressive numbers as early as 8:00 a.m.

Residents stayed on watch outside the polling station where Usman Hamzat, the chairmanship candidate for the All Progressives Congress, or APC, is due to cast his ballot. Many expressed concern about the slow start and how it may affect the day’s events.

Voting begins at Gov Sanwo-Olu’s polling unit on Lagos Island

At St. Stephen’s Nursery and Primary School, Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island, where Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is anticipated to take part in the current local government elections, voting has begun at Polling Unit 007 as well.

As planned, the exercise, which aimed to elect chairmen and council members throughout the state, got underway on time at 8:00 a.m. Following their punctual arrival at the polling station, representatives of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, promptly started the voting process.

Jubril Gawat, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, was one of the early voters who voted at the same polling station.

There was a noticeable security presence at the location, with police officers positioned to keep the calm and preserve order during the voting process.

All 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State that are recognized by the constitution are participating in the local government election.

With ad hoc employees of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, or LASIEC, getting ready to be deployed to the 14 Local Council Development Areas, or LCDAs, under both Amuwo-Odofin and Oriade, the distribution of election materials is presently underway at the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area Secretariat.

According to local reports, the exercise has gone well thus far, with no instances of material misplacement, delay, or interruption noted at the time this report was filed.

Election materials were distributed early today in the Ikeja Local Government Area.

Before the scheduled 8:00 a.m. start of voting, our correspondent saw election materials being sent from the council administration to important polling places throughout the LGA.

In the meantime, security personnel have been sent to several Ikeja polling places.

The elections for the Lagos State local government council, which are due for this Saturday, July 12, 2025, are now complete.

Political players, election watchers, and citizens from the mainland and the islands await what many see as a low-key but important test of the political landscape of the state.

The final list of verified candidates running for chairperson and councillorship seats in the state’s 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) was made public by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC.

According to reports, election materials and security officers will be spread around the 13,325 polling places as early as 8 a.m., when voting is anticipated to start.

In Nigeria, local government elections are frequently characterized by low voter turnout and little national media coverage; nonetheless, this year’s poll in Lagos is particularly important.

Following pockets of opposition wins in the general elections of 2023, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is attempting to regain its power at the grassroots level at the time of the vote.

According to political analysts, this election may act as a gauge of the effectiveness of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration and, consequently, of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s sway in his native state.

Key Rivals: LP seeks to gain ground, APC maintains its position

The All Progressives Congress is still the party to beat, as was to be expected. The APC has a strong grassroots organization and political apparatus that extends from the ward level to the top, having ruled Lagos since 1999.

But the Labour Party, LP, is expecting to build on its victories at the local level after shocking everyone by taking numerous important polling stations in Lagos during the 2023 presidential election, particularly in areas like Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, and Surulere.

While their campaign visibility varies throughout the state, LP candidates have been active in some LGAs.

In the run-up to this election, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which was previously the primary opposition in Lagos, has mostly been silent, which is indicative of its continued internal problems and declining public visibility.

Opposition leaders and civil society organizations voiced concerns about LASIEC’s readiness in the days preceding the vote.

The official candidate list was only made public on July 8, four days before the votes, which was a major source of contention.

In several LGAs, opposition candidates—particularly those from the Labour Party—have also complained about intimidation, campaign poster damage, and issues with impartiality.

A candidate in Amuwo-Odofin accused LASIEC and security services of conspiring to sabotage the election and urged them to take immediate action.

The electoral commission has reassured Lagos residents that everything is set up for a credible election in spite of these concerns.

Justice Ayotunde Phillips (rtd.), the chairperson of the LASIEC, said that sufficient preparations had been made, including measures for vulnerable voters including the elderly, expectant mothers, and people with disabilities.

Since local governments are the closest level of government to the people and play a crucial role in providing basic services, Governor Sanwo-Olu has called on Lagosians to turn out in force.

The public has also been informed by security organizations, such as the Lagos State Police Command, that voting will be safe and that policemen will be sent to keep the peace at each polling station.

Elections for municipal governments are important, although they are frequently overlooked. They decide who manages local markets, roads, schools, and sanitation, who controls development budgets at the local level, and who serves as the foot soldiers of national and state parties in the run-up to the general elections in 2027.

For coverage and real-time updates from our reporters throughout Lagos State’s local government districts, stick with ZINGTIE.

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