By Evelyn Usman

As the local government elections held across Lagos State on Saturday, many residents chose to stay away from the polling units, citing a lack of faith in the electoral process.

Throughout the morning, streets in several communities remained largely deserted, with many residents watching from their apartment windows or sitting idly outside their homes, showing no interest in voting.

In conversations with Vanguard, several residents voiced their disillusionment with the system. One of them, Mr. Godfrey Johnson, 54, said, “Of what importance is our participation when our votes will not count? We have lost confidence in INEC’s ability to deliver credible elections. Until we get it right, this will be the outcome.”

His views were echoed by many others who lamented what they described as a consistent pattern of electoral disappointment, despite repeated assurances from government and electoral officials.

Another resident, Mr. Taofeek Sumonu, 41, described the low turnout as unsurprising. “This is not new. It happens in most local government elections. People are waiting for the governorship and presidential polls. That’s when you’ll see real turnout,” he said.

Although electoral officers were present in several polling units, the general atmosphere remained subdued, with only a handful of voters seen casting their ballots.