Voting did not take place in many polling units at Ogudu and Ojota in Kosofe Local Government of Lagos as at 2 p.m. on Saturday as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials failed to show up.
Many voters, who had arrived the polling units as early as 7 a.m. left at about 2:30 p.m. frustrated when they could not exercise their franchise.
Among polling areas affected were Ward D, units 044, 064, 082, 084, 085 in Ramat Crescent, Kolawole Ashimi St., Alhaja Abass St., and Buari St. in Kosofe council area.
Contacted, INEC Spokesman in Lagos, Femi Akinbiyi, said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos, Sam Olumekun, was meeting with the security agencies on how to resolve the problem.
According to him, the ad hoc staff protested over speculations that INEC was paying some people while others were left out.
“INEC does not pay cash to any of its ad hoc staff; all payments were done through electronic payment to the bank accounts of its ad hoc staff.
“If anyone had not seen his or her own allowance, it may be due to some issues emanating from his or her bank.
“Each ad hoc staff is entitled to receive N9,000 as honorarium, N3,000 for movement and N1,000 for feeding; making a total of N13, 000 for each election.
“The only time we paid cash of N4,500 was when we paid the training allowance,’’ he said.
A concerned voter, Mr Gbenga Ajibola, said that voters who came out very early in the area on Saturday with lots of enthusiasm to cast their votes went back home after waiting endlessly for INEC officials.
“This shows that we operate a failed system in Nigeria, things like this should not be happening. By this time, people should have cast their votes by now and gone back home,” Ajibola said.
Mr Fola Oyedapo, an elderly voter, said though he was tired, he was still waiting and hopeful that he would cast his vote.
“We are in the dark, we have not been given any information about what has been happening, a lot of people were here in the morning around 8a.m. and 10 a.m.
“Now it is 2.50 p.m. and the crowd has thinned out and even if INEC officials eventually come, voters might not be willing to come out again.
