Surulere bye-election: Results will be uploaded on IREV — REC assures

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that the results of the bye-election in Surulere Federal Constituency 1 will be uploaded on iREV portal.

The Residents Electoral Commissioner of the Commission in Lagos state, Prof. Ayobami Salami, gave the assurance on Saturday during his official monitoring of the conduct of the election in the Constituency.

According to him, “We will ensure to play by the rules and by the grace of God upload the results on IREV. So, far, I’m satisfied that this election is peaceful and smooth.”

In most polling units, accreditation and voting started at about 8:30 am in the constituency.

However, a low turnout of voters was recorded in several of the polling units, while there were few restrictions of vehicular movement in the constituency.

In Ward 8, polling unit 032 in Adelabu Street, voting commenced at about 8:25 am, while about eight people had voted at about 9:30 am.

Agents of the three major political parties were seen in the polling and they expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election so far.

“We are happy with the way it is going, there is no problem here as you can see”, an agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said.

Also in Ward 8, polling unit 042, voting commenced at about 8:40am and few voters were seen waiting after casting their votes.

Some of the voters who spoke to Tribune Online said they expected a peaceful exercise, urging INEC to conduct a free and fair poll.

Also commenting, an agent of the Labour Party, LP, who simply identified himself as Chris Ogunmola, lamented apathy, describing it as “poor turnout” so far, and pleaded with voters to come out and vote.

“The election is going well, but we can’t say what would happen in the next minute, but I’m hopeful of the chances of the LP. We did our best to mobilise, I plead with our people to come out and vote. It is only when people don’t come out that you give room for rigging and also sort of things,” he said.

Also, an agent of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Elizabeth Samuel said she was still monitoring the way the election was going and could not talk much.

“You can see we are still watching,” she said.

Motorists also shunned the restriction of movement as some daring commercial buses came out for business unmolested.

However, entries into Surulere were cordoned off by armed security personnel to ensure non-officials drive into the voting areas.