Lagos Witnessed a low voter turnout in the 2025 Local Government election despite its peaceful conduct, particularly in the Yaba area. The election, which aimed to fill chairmanship and councillorship positions across various wards, saw sparse attendance at polling units.
At Ward C’s Polling Unit 012 in Oyadiran Estate, voting commenced at 9:31 a.m. with a heavy presence of security officials. LASIEC officials allowed voters without cards to cast their votes if they could verify their pictures on the LASIEC list. “We are still expecting more people to come out,” said an official. “Voting is expected to end by 3 p.m., and we are optimistic that people will still come”.
Similar scenes played out across other polling units, with voters conducting themselves in an orderly manner. At Polling Unit 002, Ward C Yaba, Member of the House of Assembly Adebola Shabi voted, describing the process as peaceful.
In other areas visited, voter apathy was evident, with many residents staying indoors.
However, voter apathy was evident, with many residents staying indoors. Some attributed this to disillusionment with the electoral process. “What’s the point in voting when our votes don’t count?” asked Godfrey Johnson, a 54-year-old resident. “We’ve lost faith in the system. Until credible elections become a reality, people will continue to opt out”.
At various polling units, LASIEC officials waited patiently for voters, with some units experiencing delays due to logistics. Vote counting had begun in some areas, such as Polling Unit 024 in Ward B, Makoko area of Yaba, while voting was still ongoing in others.
The low turnout reflects persistent voter apathy often associated with local government elections in the state, according to observers. Despite this, the election process has been largely calm and without disruption.