Lagos lawmaker, Tunde Braimoh, faults INEC on delayed voting

A Lagos lawmaker, Mr Tunde Braimoh, on Saturday decried the inability of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to surmount some of its challenges that led to the delay in the arrival of electoral materials at some polling centres.

Braimoh, representing Kosofe Constituency 2, in the Lagos House of Assembly and seeking re- election, said this in an interview with our reporter on Saturday.

He spoke against the backdrop of the delay in the arrival of INEC’s ad hoc staff and materials at all the polling units across various wards in his constituency.

It was reported that voting did not commence at all the polling units in Kosofe as INEC officials did not arrive there with election materials at about 11 a.m.

He expressed his disappointment that voting had not started at Kosofe LGA despite the ample opportunity the commission had to prepare.

“I am not amazed at INEC’s shoddy performance but I expected them to have gone pass their teething problems.

“This is because they have the opportunity of the postponement to adjust and redress all uncertainties; but instead of doing that, they relaxed and were more complacent than ever.

“This is 19:45 a.m., and up till now, there is nowhere, throughout the length and breadth of Kosofe Local government where voting had started’’, he said.

Braimoh said that information reaching him alleged that INEC had not paid its ad-hoc staff for the job they did before the postponement of the elections and during the Feb. 23 elections.

He noted that it was unfortunate that INEC had allowed such manner of inefficiency and indolent to creep into their activities.

According to him, one would have expected the umpire to be more cautious and be retrospective in handling a major assignment of this nature.

They should not have handled it with laxity, nonchalant and lackadaisical attitude, he said.

“Being a Nigerian style of doing things, the aggrieved INEC ad hoc staffers believed that once the exercise is over, the commission will not pay them.

“The apprehension is there for them to yearn to be paid before the completion of the job.

“It is unfortunate that this is happening as one cannot readily predict what will be the outcome of today’s election,’’ he said.

Braimoh said that while some people were appealing to the INEC’s ad hoc staff members to return to work, some opposition party members were alleged to have been inciting them not to.

He said this was because they were not ready for the election and did not want it to take place.

“My appeal to the electorate is to be undaunted in their resolve to vote and keep their support intact.

“Don’t be deterred by the temporary setback, be insistent that you are determined to vote.

“If we are going to vote till 10 p.m., we must not be discouraged to show that we want to allow continuity to thrive in Lagos’’, he said .

The lawmaker, however, said that he was informed that the commission had begun to pay its ad hoc staff members and expressed optimism that the election would still hold.