Protesters Storm Lagos House of Assembly Over DDC Machines

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Over 5,000 Lagosians including students this morning stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly complex to protest what they termed as “a planned disenfranchisement” by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The protesters, who barricaded the entrance and  the road to the Assembly, came from different parts of the state.

They told P.M.NEWS that they have not been able to register since the exercise began.

They also accused the State Resident Electoral Commission of INEC, K. Ogunmola of  not taking action to correct the situation.

The protesters said he has never visited any of the units since the voter registration began.

Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “DDC Machines Are Failure,” “DDC Machines Have Flopped,” “Jega, What Happened To The N75b Given To You?” “Jega, You Are Disenfranchising Us” and “18 Million Lagosians Say No To DDC Machines”.

They claimed that in some areas of the state, some corps members have stopped working because they have not been paid their allowances.

Mr. Israel Olowokande, who led part of the group from Ejigbo said they were frustrated by the way the DDC machines operated.

He said: “Each day we provide generator and fuel to the corps members, yet, we have not been able to register.”

Olowokande blamed the malfunctioning of the machines as the reason they are yet to be registered.

He said INEC used fire brigade approach to train corps members on how to use the machines, lamenting that they should have known that most of the corps members are not computer literate.

Another protester, Sobande Ayinde, told P.M.NEWS that in Oshodi five to 40 people are registered daily. “If you want to add these figure together, you will realise that over 75 per cent of eligible voters are yet to register not because they don’t want to but because they are being disenfranchised.

“Since INEC has refused to do anything about this problem, we have come to speak with those who can talk to the commission.”

As at press time, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, was yet to address the protesters.

Some officers of the Nigeria Police were at the scene to ensure peace and smooth flow of the traffic.

By Eromosele Ebhomele & Yisa Jamiu

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