Elections for governor and the state house of assembly scheduled to take place on Saturday have been postponed in ten polling units in the Victoria Garden City and Lekki area of the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

This information was provided by Segun Agbaje, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, while he was speaking to reporters at the VGC on Saturday.

Agbaje stated that members of the National Youth Service Corps who were deployed as ad hoc staff in the area were hesitant to enter the VGC estate because they claimed that they were held hostage during the presidential and national assembly elections that took place on February 25.

Agbaje reported that the ad hoc staff instead set up voting materials in front of the estate; however, residents of the estate reported that they did not feel secure because they feared that hoodlums would invade and disrupt the process; as a result, they were unable to cast their votes.
“We have eight polling units here with 6,024 registered voters and out of those, 5,624 people have their PVCs,” Agbaje said. “We have eight polling units here with 6,024 registered voters.”

He went on to say that two additional polling units located at the main gate of the estate were also affected.

He counted them and said, “Eight here (in the estate), and two outside.”

“After due consultation and further directive from the national headquarters that we should remobilise here tomorrow (Sunday) morning by 8:30am to conduct the elections, by 8:30am tomorrow (Sunday) we will reconvene here. “After due consultation and further directive from the national headquarters that we should remobilise here tomorrow (Sunday) morning to conduct the elections.”

Agbaje also mentioned that the commission had received assurances of the safety of its staff and voters from the chairman of the security committee of the estate where the election was taking place.

He stated that the situation was beyond the capabilities of the security agents that were already present, and as a result, he and his team were required to visit the area.

In the state of Gombe, agents from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have detained 10 people who are suspected of buying votes with a total of N1.9 million in cash.

Farul Dogondaji, the Kano Zonal Commander of the EFCC, is currently in Gombe State for election assignment. In a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he stated that the suspects were arrested in Gombe, Akko, Nafada, and Kwami Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. Dogondaji is currently in Gombe State for election assignment.

According to him, 10 suspects were detained along with 43 wrappers while they were attempting to entice eligible voters in the LGAs that were impacted.

He stated that all of the suspects were taken into custody while they were attempting to divide the money in order to exert influence over voters in the elections for governor and state assembly.

After the investigation is complete, the suspects will be taken to court, according to the commander of the EFCC.

Election materials intended for Ogbia Wards 2, 3, 4, and 5 in Ogbia Constituency 2 of the Ogbia Local Government Area have been taken by suspected thugs.
According to eyewitness accounts, the materials were hauled away and burned.
Governor Douye Diri has already denounced the incident and urged the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police of Bayelsa State to take immediate action.

details soon…