The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has declared that any incident of ballot box snatching during Saturday’s local government elections will lead to a by-election in the affected polling area.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Chairman of LASIEC, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), issued the warning on Thursday during a press briefing ahead of the July 12 council polls.
Okikiolu-Ighile said, “There will be by-elections if a ballot box is snatched anywhere. While we don’t pray for such to happen, we are prepared to act accordingly.”
She reiterated the commission’s commitment to delivering a transparent, peaceful, and credible electoral exercise across all 57 local government areas and local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.
Okikiolu-Ighile assured journalists and voters, “There is no threat to postpone the election in any way. We are fully prepared.”
In a related development, the Lagos State Police Command has reviewed its earlier announcement on vehicular movement restrictions scheduled for election day.
Initially slated to begin by 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, the new restriction window will now run from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., according to a statement by the police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin.
He said, “To alleviate the problem of residents with critical medical emergencies and appointments, and those with longtime international travel plans in and out of the country, the restriction of vehicular movement is hereby readjusted to commence at 6:00 am and end at 3:00 pm on Saturday, July 12, 2025, and not from 3.00 am as earlier announced.
“Members of the public are enjoined to cooperate and respect the new timing.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Olohundare Jimoh, confirmed the deployment of officers to key locations across the state to ensure adequate security before, during, and after the elections.