INEC postpones election at VGC as residents protest relocation of polling units
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed elections at 10 polling units in Victoria Garden City (VGC) in the Lekki area of Lagos state, to Sunday, March 19, 2023, following protests by residents against the relocation of polling units outside the estate.
Eight polling units inside the estate and two others at the estate’s main gate were affected.
In the early hours of Saturday, residents claimed they were informed that their polling units had been moved to another location outside the estate. In the past and in the last presidential election, the residents voted within the estate. They, however, raised the alarm when the polling unit was relocated for the governorship and state assembly polls, claiming they could be attacked by hoodlums.
The protests by the residents halted the voting process on Saturday morning as they insisted that they would not vote except their polling units are relocated into the estate.
Segun Agbaje, the Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC who visited the area and announced that voting will hold from 2 pm to 5 pm, has now announced the postponement of voting to 8:30 am on Sunday.
Agbaje claimed that INEC ad hoc staff deployed to the area for the election on Saturday were hesitant to go into the VGC estate over allegations that they were held hostage y residents of the estate during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He added that the ad hoc staff decided to set up voting materials in front of the estate for the governorship and state assembly polls, but the residents said they did not feel secure and could not cast their votes outside the estate.
“We have eight polling units here with 6,024 registered voters and out of which 5,624 people have their PVCs,” he said. “After due consultation and further directive from the national headquarters that we should remobilise here tomorrow (Sunday) morning by 08:30am to conduct the elections.
“By 08:30am tomorrow (Sunday), we will reconvene here.”
Agbaje said the chairman of the security committee of the estate had assured the commission of the safety of corps members and INEC staff as well as the safety of voters.
