Tension erupted on Saturday at Polling Unit 027 in Yaya Abatan, Ogba, within the Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State following the assault Labour Party (LP) agent Spencer Dominic by aggrieved supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the local government elections.
TheNewsGuru reports that the incident unfolded shortly before the APC chairmanship candidate, Usman Akanbi Hamzat, arrived to cast his vote. The LP agent had positioned himself behind the electoral officials to observe and confirm voter identities.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Trust that some APC supporters objected to his presence in that spot and demanded that he leave.
When he refused, they attacked him, dragging and slapping him in front of security personnel, who reportedly did nothing to intervene.
The scuffle was eventually de-escalated by concerned individuals who stepped in to restore order at the polling unit.
After the attack, Spencer Dominic explained to Daily Trust that he was simply trying to ensure electoral integrity.
He stated, “I stayed behind the electoral officers, watching the people coming to vote to confirm their voter cards. When the chairman came and asked me to leave, I said no, as I needed to verify the voter cards of the people. Then, the APC supporters started beating me.”
In defense of the incident, APC chieftain Gbenga Adebowale accused the LP agent of violating polling unit protocol. He said, “The chairman of the council is the incumbent, and if he wants to join the queue, nobody should question him. You, as an agent, are now asking him for his voter card? That is unacceptable. There are rules governing the conduct of agents; you are not supposed to be behind the electoral officers. That position can incite trouble.”
Overall, the elections across Lagos State were characterized by low voter turnout, with many polling units experiencing sparse participation.
