Voters at the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo’s polling unit 033, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, failed to turn out in large numbers for the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections as they did two weeks ago.

As of 9:50am, there were less than 200 voters on ground. Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission also arrived late to the venue at about 9:15am.

The presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria, Mr Fela Durotoye, in an interview with our correspondents, said, “The turnout today is very low; I would almost call it abysmal, especially compared to the presidential election turnout two weeks ago.

“There are several reasons responsible for this. I think a lot of people are quite disenchanted and discouraged with what they saw at the presidential election and many people are not very connected to the candidates who are running.”

The immediate past Sole Administrator of Apapa Iganmu Local Government, Mr Olumide Olayomi, said several environmental factors could have caused the delay in the start of the election process.

“We have a very happy, and we are happy to wait,” he said.

Commenting on the low turnout, Olayomi said,

“The frenzy leading up to the first election ocassioned by a lot of media hype, apprehension about violence, which was capped by the speech of Mr President two days before the election, reassuring that the elections will go on seamlessly.

“This made people turn out in large numbers very early. Now that the political map is sort of settled, people know that a voting pattern has been established. I think it is a matter of perception.”

PUNCH