Some aggrieved loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government, Lagos State, reportedly assaulted the Labour Party (LP) polling agent, Spencer Dominic, on Saturday at polling unit 027 along Yaya Abatan, Ogba.
The incident occurred during the local government elections, moments before the APC candidate, Usman Akanbi Hamzat, arrived to cast his vote.
According to eyewitnesses, APC supporters confronted the LP agent and ordered him to move away from behind the electoral officers. When he refused, insisting on staying to monitor the process for transparency, the situation escalated. The loyalists allegedly dragged, slapped, and shouted at him in full view of security personnel who reportedly failed to intervene.
Narrating the incident, Dominic said:
“I was standing behind the electoral officers to ensure transparency and verify voter cards as people arrived to vote. Suddenly, the APC supporters told me to leave the spot. I refused, and they began beating me.”
In response, an APC leader, Gbenga Adebowale, defended the action, stating that the LP agent had no right to stand behind electoral officials and question the credentials of voters, especially the sitting council chairman.
“You don’t question the chairman of the council as a polling agent. There are rules. Polling agents are expected to maintain a certain distance. When you stand behind the electoral officers, it’s seen as an attempt to disrupt the process,” Adebowale said.
The election in Lagos was generally marked by low voter turnout, with reports of voter apathy across several polling units in the state.
The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) is yet to officially comment on the incident.
