As of 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, dozens of security personnel and electoral officials were seen stranded at the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area secretariat in Lagos, awaiting their deployment for the ongoing local government elections.

It was observed that the officials, some of whom had arrived since Friday night, were visibly frustrated by the delay in logistical arrangements.

“I slept out here on Friday night and till now, they are yet to allocate us. It’s frustrating,” one of the officials, who declined to be named said.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission is conducting elections across the 20 local government areas and 37 LCDAs to fill key positions at the grassroots level, including chairmanship and councillorship seats.

Police officers at Ikosi-Isheri LCDA.

The polls are seen as a critical exercise in deepening local governance and fostering political accountability in the state.

However, reports of delayed deployment and logistical hiccups have raised concerns about the preparedness of electoral authorities and the smooth conduct of the exercise in certain locations.

At Ikosi-Isheri, the discontent among security operatives and electoral staff was palpable, with many lamenting the lack of basic amenities, coordination, and timely information from officials in charge.

Some said they had not received food or stipends since their arrival.

Despite the delays, electoral materials were reportedly still being sorted inside the secretariat, while several units had yet to be staffed as of press time.

Voter turnout in the area also appeared low in the early hours of the day, with many residents unaware of polling unit locations or discouraged by the late start.

LASIEC officials have yet to comment on the delays at Ikosi-Isheri LCDA.

Polling units in the Awolowo Road area of Ikoyi, Lagos, experienced significant delays, with Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission officials yet to arrive as of 8:51am on Saturday.

It was observed that many of these polling units were deserted, save for a handful of patient voters awaiting the election officers.

Specifically, at Polling Unit 29, near the Federal Service Club, only a single party agent was present, also awaiting LASIEC officials.

The situation in the Obalende area was equally slow to start, with several youths seen playing football as late as 9:15am.

At Polling Unit 29, located near the Federal Service Club, only one party agent was present, also awaiting LASIEC officials.

In the Obalende area, as of 9:15am, several youths were seen playing football on the road while security personnel were actively controlling the situation and instructing them to remove makeshift barricades.

Meanwhile, vehicular and pedestrian movement came to a standstill around the Berger and Awolowo axis, as security operatives patrolled the area to ensure order and voter safety.

However, at polling units on Odo street and Igbo street in Obalende, LASIEC officials and party agents were seen on the ground, preparing for the commencement of voting.

About 7,060,195 registered voters in Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic nerve centre and revenue powerhouse, head to the polls today, Saturday, July 12, 2025, to elect their preferred representatives into chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship positions across the 20 local government areas (LGAs) and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.

This comes exactly one year after a landmark Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy in Nigeria.

Politically, Lagos is of keen interest to many Nigerians, being the home state of President Bola Tinubu, who once ruled the state as governor for eight years (1999-2007) and who is reckoned by many as the Jagaban of Bourdillon or the godfather of Lagos politics.

Lagos, located in the Southwest zone of Nigeria, houses over 20 million residents and stands tall as the country’s internally generated revenue leader, generating ₦1.3 trillion in revenue in 2024.

Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, sprawls inland from the Gulf of Guinea across Lagos Lagoon.

The state is home to the headquarters of most financial institutions, telecoms companies, international oil companies, international and local airports, seaports, as well as the hub of phone markets, wares, among others.

As politicians jostle to occupy much-coveted public offices across the state, today, the process will be overseen by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC).

Whilst the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) organises federal and state elections, the state electoral commission handles local government polls.

LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, said no political party was restrained from participating in the elections.

Data from the body shows that 15 out of the 19 registered political parties in the country have been confirmed for the chairmanship, vice chairmanship and councillorship positions in the 20 LGAs and the 37 LCDAs in the state.

Unlike the general elections, Justice Okikiolu-Ighile confirmed that LASIEC won’t use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the election.

Instead, he said, “there are some electronics that we are going to use in between. We can go manual.”

She acknowledged that low voter turnout has traditionally plagued local council elections nationwide but expressed optimism that the commission’s outreach efforts and growing public trust would lead to increased participation this time.

“We are ready. We have worked hard. Now, we urge Lagosians to come out and vote peacefully,” she said.