Delegates arriving for the APC Local Government chairmanship primaries at the party secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos, under tight security on Saturday. The primaries are part of preparations for the July 12 local government elections in the state
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Local Government chairmanship primaries are currently underway at the party’s secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos, under heavy security presence.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has scheduled the local government elections for July 12, covering all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.
NAN political correspondents monitoring the primaries observed a significant deployment of security personnel to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of the exercise.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh, was seen personally overseeing the security situation in and around the venue. Also present were operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), all working to maintain law and order.
Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were on ground to manage traffic flow. Despite their efforts, vehicular movement along the stretch leading to the secretariat was heavily restricted, causing gridlock around ACME Road and adjoining routes. Commuters were forced to take alternative roads to reach their destinations.
Hundreds of delegates from various council areas were being screened and accredited as the process commenced.
Addressing journalists briefly before the start of the accreditation, the Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, Mr. Babatunde Ogala, appealed to the media for fair and objective coverage. He assured that adequate security measures had been put in place for all participants.
Ogala explained that although accreditation was scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m., it was slightly delayed to accommodate delegates arriving from distant locations.