Tension as APC Thugs Beat LP Agent at Lagos LG Poll

A Labour Party agent, Spencer Dominic, was beaten on Saturday, July 12, during the Lagos Local Government elections in Ifako Ijaiye.

According reports, the incident occurred at Polling Unit 027 along Yaya Abatan in Ogba when the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate, Usman Akanbi Hamzat, arrived to cast his vote.

APC loyalists reportedly demanded that Dominic leave the space behind electoral officers. When he refused, insisting on staying for transparency, they descended on him.

They shouted, slapped, and dragged him, all while security personnel stood by without intervening. Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic but said some passersby eventually stepped in to stop the attack.

Speaking after the assault, Dominic said he stood behind the electoral officers to verify voter cards as part of his duties. He explained, “I positioned myself to see who was voting. When the chairman came, he asked me to leave. I refused. Then APC loyalists attacked me.”

Despite the clear violation, no arrests were made. The violence has raised questions about the integrity of the Lagos LG polls, especially in areas known for political tensions.

Gbenga Adebowale, a local APC leader, defended the incident. He claimed the Labour Party agent broke polling unit protocols. “You cannot stand behind electoral officers. That creates suspicion. There’s a distance agents must maintain,” Adebowale said.

He also argued that it was disrespectful for an opposition agent to question the council chairman about his voter card. “Who are you to demand the chairman’s voter ID?” he asked.

Meanwhile, voter turnout across Lagos remained low. Many polling units reported fewer than 30 voters by midday. Observers blamed voter apathy, insecurity, and growing distrust in the system.

This attack follows rising tensions in the state’s political landscape. Former Deputy Governor Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele earlier called for the cancellation of the entire exercise, alleging a coordinated plan to rig the elections.

She described the ongoing poll as “a farce,” pointing to violence, intimidation, and logistical failures.

Despite claims of neutrality by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), incidents like this have eroded public confidence in the electoral process.

Critics are calling for urgent reforms. Many now demand the deployment of federal security for future polls to ensure transparency and protect voters and agents.

As of now, no official condemnation has come from the APC or LASIEC.

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