•••As Aiyedatiwa says LG autonomy will enhance grassroots development

The Saturday Local Government election in Ondo State was largely characterised by a very low turnout of voters and logistics challenges in most council areas of the state.

Our correspondent, who monitored the exercise across the state report that the electioneering scheduled to hold between 8am and 4pm did not start until 11am in most of the polling centres.

Voting, however, started at around 10:30am in some polling units in Akure South, Akure North, Ilaje, Owo Local Government Areas including polling Unit 5, Ugbo Ward 4, and Igboroko Unit 16, Ward 3, where Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami cast their votes.

Aiyedatiwa, who spoke with journalists after casting his vote, described the election as a step towards enhancing grassroots development.

The G5 overnor, however, reiterated the commitment of his administration to the effective running of the local government system in the state in line with the provisions of the law.

He also commended the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) for the seamless conduct of the poll.

While his deputy, Olayide Adelami, in Owo, expressed delight with the level of turnout and urged the people to vote en masse to repeat the outstanding success recorded during the governorship election.

According to Adelami, local government administration was critical to good governance and democracy hence the need for the people to participate actively in the process.

He, therefore, expressed satisfaction with the level of turnout at his polling unit.

Also speaking with journalists, Johnson Ogunbolude, a chairmanship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure North LGA, who voted at Moferere Ward 8, Unit 2 at Iju/Itaogbolu, expressed the confidence of winning the election.

“The opposition parties that have to contest the election had already accepted defeat due to the good work of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and we are happy with this development.

“My advice to the voters is to keep calm, so that they can reap the dividends of democracy and what will come after the election,” Ogunbolude said.