Ambode, Adebule cast votes

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Saturday cast his vote in the state local council polls at 9.44 a.m. with an appeal that voters should elect credible leaders.

Ambode voted at Ward A6, Polling Unit 033, located within the Ogunmodede College, Papa, in Epe.

He said that electing credible leaders would enable the residents to reap the dividends of democracy.

The governor called the electorates to come out en masse to perform their civic rights.

“We have tried at the state level, but we also need to put credible people at the local government level because that is the nearest government to our people.

“All that we have been advocating is participatory governance; if you do not take part, you will not be part of what is coming out; the whole essence is to elect people who will touch your needs,” he said.

In the same vein, Ambode’s deputy, Dr Idiat Adebule, voted at 10.00am, at Ward A, Polling Unit 013 at Devince Bus stop, Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Adebule attributed the low turnout of voters to early morning downpour which confined many residents to their apartments until 9.00 a.m. in some areas.

”The rain is one of the reasons we are witnessing low turnout in Iba LCDA, but I am very optimistic that people will soon start coming out to cast their votes.

”I call on residents yet to come out to be a part of this exercise,’’ she said.

Adebule urged voters to maintain good and orderly conduct.

12 political parties are participating the election.

They are: Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy ( AD ), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Labour Party (LP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The others are United Democratic Party (UDP), United Progressive Party (UPP), Kowa Party (KP), National Action Council (NAC) and Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).