Following the low turnout of voters at Polling Unit 064 under Ward 03 in Alimosho Local Government Area, party agents had to assume the role of town criers to encourage voters to come out to cast their votes.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials arrived with the voting materials at 8.55 a.m.

Voting eventually commenced at 9.10 am, and at 11:55 am there were no voters queuing up to vote but they were coming out in trickles to perform their civic duty.

Some of the voters attributed the low turnout to the violence that occurred in some parts of the state during the Feb.23 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

Babatunde Salami, a community leader in the area, said that even though there were no untoward incidents recorded in the community, some residents might have travelled out of town.

“It is possible that some residents have travelled out of town or they are just not interested,’’ he said.

A trader, Ahmed Ogunremi, said that everything went well and he was able to cast his vote without hitches.

“There were no hitches, everyone came and cast their votes and left the polling units for their different homes,’’ he said.

A civil servant, Mrs Bunmi Aderemi, said she was hoping that more residents would come out to cast their votes.

“Since we don’t have traditional town criers in our community I hope that more residents will come out on their own to cast their vote,’’ she added.

It is reported that only one of the smart card reader out of the two meant for Polling Unit 064 functioned maximally during the accreditation of voters.

NAN