Lagos, July 12, 2025 — The Lagos Local Government elections took an unexpected turn in Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Saturday as ad-hoc staff of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) were seen stranded and eventually forced to trek long distances to their designated polling units.
The development was due to delays in the deployment of logistics and the enforcement of movement restrictions across the state, which left official vehicles unavailable to convey electoral officers and materials.
Eyewitnesses reported that the affected officials, many of whom were National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and LASIEC staff, had to carry electoral materials on foot under the sun, determined to meet the scheduled opening time at their polling units.
“We waited for hours but couldn’t find vehicles. We had no choice but to walk with the materials. The voters were already waiting,” one official recounted.
This situation caused delays in the commencement of voting in several polling units within the LCDA. However, officials managed to begin the electoral process later in the morning, ensuring that voters were not entirely disenfranchised.
The incident has raised concerns about LASIEC’s logistical preparedness and has drawn criticism from some voters and observers who described the situation as “avoidable.”
Despite the challenges, electoral officials expressed their commitment to conducting a peaceful and transparent exercise. Voting and counting later progressed in most polling areas without further disruptions.