As the local council elections took place across Lagos on Saturday, many football-loving youths took to the streets, converting major roads into makeshift football pitches.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the monitoring team accompanying the Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Retired Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, and other commissioners, observed the development firsthand.
The monitoring convoy had to halt several times as youths removed improvised goalposts to allow passage.
The situation was particularly noticeable along Agege Motor Road, Alimosho Road in Iyana-Ipaja, and the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, where no fewer than 14 football pitches were sighted.
From Mushin to Oshodi Bus-Stop, four different street pitches were seen, while an additional five were located between Oshodi Bus-Stop and Bolade-Oshodi. Further along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, between Dopemu Bus-Stop and Iyana-Ipaja, six more makeshift football fields were observed.
In some areas, these informal games were taking place near military checkpoints, including those in Oshodi, where NAN noted the presence of temporary pitches in close proximity to uniformed personnel.
At Oyewole High School, located within the Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area, more than 60 youths were seen actively playing football, despite the presence of three polling units on the premises. By 11:30 a.m., only 21 voters had cast their ballots at two of these units, which collectively have a total of 1,240 registered voters.
Similarly, at Polling Unit 014 in Oyewole Alaagba, Orile-Agege—situated directly opposite the Constituency Office of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa—only 65 out of 742 registered voters had voted by the same time.
In the lead-up to the elections, LASIEC had claimed to undertake extensive sensitisation efforts to encourage voter participation.
To further drive voter awareness on election day, the electoral commission launched balloon aircraft from its Sabo, Yaba headquarters, bearing messages urging residents to go out and vote.
