By Bola Badmus, Lekan Olabulo, Subair Mohammed and Segun Kasali
THE violence that characterised last weekend’s presidential and National Assembly elections in Lagos State won’t stop youths in the state from participating in next weekend’s governorship and House of Assembly elections, Saturday Tribune has learnt.
A survey conducted by the newspaper showed that the voting group which was in majority in last Saturday’s election was undeterred by the violence unleashed by thugs during the polls.
Most young voters in the state have professed to be anti-establishment and are believed to have contributed to the upset recorded in the presidential election in the state.
A student, Sola Tobi, said he voted in the last election and was certain to vote in next Saturday’s governorship election.
According to him, gone are the days when he would sit back in his house on days like these and not participate in voting.
Tobi noted that times were changing and so was political consciousness among the youth, adding that the choice to vote or not “goes a long way to determine the leadership of a country” and this was the reason he had chosen to vote.
He urged the security agents to treat young voters with care, saying all they were doing was for a better country.
Shofesan Cole, an entrepreneur in the state, explained that voting was his fundamental right and that he would vote in the next election to fulfil this right.
Cole noted that intimidation and harassment characterised the last elections and same should be averted next week.
A banker, Oluwaseun Agbeloto, stated that the memory of EndSARS remained fresh in his heart and it was voting that could provide succour to the lost souls.
He, therefore, charged security agents to see themselves as integral members of the society aiming for the best.
Dayo Adekanbi, also an entreprenuer, said the upcoming election was a must-do as the last election showed that his vote could make a difference.
According to him, he will be out to vote his conscience on Saturday so that he could have a settled mind.
He urged policemen to be careful in handling young voters.
A young lawyer, Simbiatu Adekanbi, noted that her Permanent Voter Card (PVC) was the only weapon to free herself from slavery, unemployment and bad governance.
She explained that a change of governemnt was necessary at this point in time.
You are safe —Govt
Ahead of the polls, the Lagos State government has assured residents of their safety, saying that they should all go about their businesses freely. It also asked them to go out to exercise their voting right without fear of molestation, intimidation or harassment.
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, gave this assurance while speaking with Saturday Tribune,l.
The commissioner recalled that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, following the tension that occurred in some areas in the state during the just-concluded polls, “directed the security agencies to secure the areas and calm immediately returned to those places.”
He said: “People should go about their businesses and when it is time to vote, they should all go out and vote without any fear of intimidation and harassment. All is well.”
Omotoso reiterated that the state government would ensure that security was adequate in the state before, during and after the forthcoming polls “because it doesn’t want anything to disrupt the harmony that Lagosians have been enjoying.” He said the security agencies were on top of their job.
According to him, the security agents in the state are experienced professionals and they know the state in and out to nip in the bud, any form of security threat.
“The state government will ensure that security is adequate in the state because it doesn’t want anything to disrupt the harmony that Lagosians have been enjoying in the state. The security agencies in the state are on top of their job. They are people who are experienced; they know the state in and out,” Omotoso said.
Trouble spots identified —Police
The image maker of the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police had identified some trouble spots in the state, promising that adequate security measures would be taken ahead of next weekend’s elections.
He disclosed that the state police command would be looking into the activities of policemen on duty following reports that they looked the other way when hoodlums went on rampage.
Hundeyin said: “The Commissioner of Police said at a stakeholders’ meeting today (Wednesday) that the command would surely provide adequate security for voters in the state. Trouble spots have been identified and closer attention will be paid to them.”
On the alleged roles of police in the disruption of polls, Hundeyin said, “The allegations will be looked into and anyone found culpable will be dealt with accordingly.”
Why Aguda witnessed violence –CDC chairman
Commenting on the violent clashes witnessed during the presidential and National Assembly elections in Coker-Aguda Local Council Development Area, the CDC chairman, Alhaji L. Olaogun, said the attacks happened in almost every part of Aguda.
According to him, elections were disrupted and property destroyed but no deaths were recorded.
He said, “It’s unfortunate that violence broke out during the last election but we thank God there were no casualties and the damage done was minimal.
“In Coker-Aguda, there are three communities, Aguda, Orile and Coker. The turnout was a bit impressive but we cannot deceive ourselves, tribal sentiment has crept into our voting pattern in Lagos State. Unfortunately, many of the people are not happy with the outcome of the election.
“As the CDC, we tell our people that they are free to vote their conscience. In Ayetoro Ward, everywhere, we have people from other tribes, especially from the South-East.
“The problem of cash scarcity is another issue. The people are peeved but in spite of this, they went out en masse to vote and there are some people from other parts of the country claiming superiority in number.
“This is partly the cause of the violence recorded in Aguda. The community belongs to everybody. We come together to address crises but this is not the case during elections. Violent clashes have been part of our election since the Action Group era. It began in 1954/1955. Then, I was in secondary school when lives were lost and property destroyed. But the election has come and gone and it was keenly contested and winners have emerged. We need to live in peace and learn to tolerate one another.
“This election is an eye opener. I am Yoruba and I felt insulted that Labour Party (LP) won in Lagos. The All Progressives Congress (APC) lost because of the anger and frustration in the land. Tribe is not only responsible for the loss of APC in Lagos State, people are hungry and angry and that was why they voted against the party. But this is not to say that we should be destroying one another.”
‘How it went down in Ikorodu’
In Ikorodu Local Government Area, last week’s elections, according to the CDC chairman of the district, Alhaji Lukman Shonibare, were largely peaceful.
He said, “There was no violence recorded in Ikorodu Local Government that I can confirm to you. There is nowhere in Ikorodu where ballot box snatching or BVAS machine stealing occurred.
“This is because we speak with one voice and our representatives at the National Assembly have performed creditably. We enjoy dividends of democracy and that is why the elections were very peaceful. As we approach March 11, we expect nothing less than a peaceful and violence-free election.”
The CDC chairman of Oshodi wasn’t willing to comment on the poll while Epe reportedly recorded no violence.
Most of the community leaders contacted denied the occurrence of violence in their domains during and after the election and would not comment on the outcome.
Lagos Mainland was a war zone —CD chairman
However, the CDA chairman in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Mr Dapo Williams, spoke on the violence that attended last week’s poll.
Williams disclosed that the election process was disrupted in the district as many voters were denied the right to exercise their franchise.
He described the plights of residents and voters in the Abula-nla area of Lagos Mainland on the day of the election as terrible as hoodlums were seen brandishing machetes, sticks and iron rods threatening voters to either vote for their preferred party or vacate the polling unit.
He said: “It was so bad that I had to call the office of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police for urgent intervention. He sent a team of policemen from Area C. The thugs invaded the polling units threatening prospective voters to vote a certain party or they would not be allowed to vote.
“The thugs denied the people the right to vote while wielding cutlass and sticks to chase them away.
“Hoodlums threatened voters, especially those from the south-eastern part of the country that it is either they vote for their party or vacate the polling unit. I said this could not be happening in my community, so I called the Commissioner of Police to inform him and he sent policemen from Area C who came and doused the tension.
“Many of the voters sustained minor injuries but no death was recorded. Many people were denied the right to vote. The police were visible at various polling units but their impacts were not felt because they bore no arms.
“Meanwhile the hoodlums were armed and ready to cause disruption. The police are to protect the people but how are they going to do this when they are not empowered by law to carry arms during elections? Many people were denied the right to vote and a repeat of this should not be allowed in the forthcoming governorship election.”
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