Kemisola Oye
Some residents of Eti-Osa in Lagos State have called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu to stop the collation of results as they have not been able to exercise their franchise in the ongoing election.
INEC in a communication yesterday said the election will continue in some parts of Lagos State on Sunday where election did not hold on Saturday 25th February 2023 for the presidential and National Assembly election.
The INEC Chairman had said that the Commission was monitoring activities ongoing in Surulere, Okota, Eti-Osa, Ikate and Oshodi where residents complained that they did not see INEC officials and could not exercise their voting rights.
The residents, during a peaceful protest, urged the INEC to stop collation until they are allowed to vote in their area.
Meanwhile, in some areas in Eti-Osa and other places indicated by INEC that the election would continue today (Sunday), residents throng the polling units insisting that they wanted to exercise their franchise.
Speaking with newsmen, Olubankole Wellington (popularly known as Banky W) said that there was no INEC official in the eight polling units INEC promised to continue the election on Sunday.
He said, “No election is taking place in any of these places INEC said the election would continue today. In the polling units in Eti-Osa, no INEC official showed up. There is no instruction from INEC why the election was not held in these polling units.
“There are multiple polling units in this area, community members intend to hold authority in their hands to do the needful by conducting elections in these areas. This is the same community where #EndSARS happened. I don’t think it’s too much to ask INEC to allow us to exercise our franchise”.