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2019 Elections

Ago residents attribute low voters’ turnout to violence during Feb. 23 elections

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Some residents of Ago area in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government, Lagos, attributed the low turnout of voters in the area on Saturday to the election violence that marred the Feb. 23 Presidential/National Assembly polls in the vicinity.

The residents spoke in separate interviews at Ward 09, Polling Units 018 and 023 of Ago/Ohafia Street and Ago/Baba-Ewe Street respectively in Lagos.

Violence occurred in the area in the Feb. 23 election, in which some ballot boxes and papers burnt by hoodlums.

Mr Adolphos Okeke, a businessman, told NAN that the low turnout could be attributed to some frightening information circulated on WhatsApp that there could be a repeat of violence in the area during the governorship and state house of assembly elections.

According to Okeke, the information circulated a day to the election, made some people be skeptical about coming out to vote.

“People have the right to vote anywhere in the country, irrespective of their tribe because Nigeria is one and everyone is free to vote.

“We have been calling on people to come out to vote because of the security presence in the polling units. The security situation is better than that of the presidential election.

“They need to come out to make a statement, come out first to survey to know what is happening and not just boycott the election,” he said.

Okeke said that voters that came out for the presidential election were more than what was observed on Saturday.

“For the Presidential and National Assembly elections, I observed over 300 voters before the disruption, but now we are struggling to reach 200 voters.

Another voter, Mr Peter Okonkwo, called for a free and fair election without intimidation in the country.

According to him, the disruption of the polling unit in the presidential election had made people to be scared of coming out.

“The whole place is vacant, we had enough population in the previous one; now, see how the place is, this is so bad,’’ Okonkwo said.

A housewife, Florence Ogbu, however, said that coming out to vote was a must for her, as she was not ready to be intimidated.

“What we are experiencing today is so bad, but as for me, I cannot be a coward, my vote must surely count and this will make me happy,’’ Ogbu said.

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