The African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Benue State, has commenced the registration of members into the party.

OSUNDAILY NG reports that the party was recently adopted by the opposition leaders plotting to oust President Bola Tinubu in the next general elections.

The party’s Interim Chairman in Benue, Terngu Tsegba flagged open the registration process on Friday, at the party’s state Secretariat in Makurdi.

The registration was launched shortly after the inaugural meeting of the ADC state Committee and the 23 Local Government Chairmen.

At the event, Tsegba charged the LG party Chairmen to take the ADC to the rural dwellers and open their arms to embrace all people willing to join in the coalition movement.

He called on all Nigerians to come out enmass to register and join the ADC as the party belongs to the people and is poised to rescue the nation.

OSUNDAILY NG gathered that as of Saturday, July 12, thousands of politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, and aggrieved members of the ruling All Progressives Congress have joined the ADC.

Some supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have reportedly assaulted a Labour Party, LP, polling agent, Spencer Dominic, at Polling Unit 027, along Yaya Abatan Road in the Ogba area of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government.

The altercation allegedly broke out when the APC chairmanship candidate, Usman Akanbi Hamzat, arrived at the unit to cast his vote. Eyewitnesses said APC loyalists confronted the LP agent and ordered him to move away from behind the electoral officers as the candidate approached the ballot area.

According to reports, the confrontation escalated when the LP agent resisted the instruction. He was allegedly dragged, slapped, and shouted at by the APC supporters, all in the presence of security personnel who reportedly did not intervene.

Order was eventually restored following the intervention of some bystanders who stepped in to stop the assault.

In a brief interview, Dominic explained that he was stationed behind the electoral officers to observe proceedings and ensure transparency in the voting process.

“I was monitoring those coming to vote and checking their voter cards. When the chairman came and told me to move, I declined because I had a duty to observe. That’s when some APC members attacked me,” he said.

However, an APC chieftain, Gbenga Adebowale, defended the party’s position, claiming that the LP agent was violating polling protocol by standing too close to election officials.

“The council chairman is the incumbent and was simply casting his vote. The agent had no right to confront him or ask for his voter card,” Adebowale argued.

He also stated, “Agents are not supposed to stand directly behind electoral officers. There are clear boundaries for agents at polling units. His actions were confrontational and disruptive.”

Despite the conduct of local government elections across Lagos State on Saturday, voter turnout remained strikingly low, with many residents choosing to stay away from polling units in apparent protest over what they described as a lack of credibility in the electoral system.

In numerous neighbourhoods, streets were quiet throughout the morning, as residents either stayed indoors or lingered outside their homes, expressing little or no interest in participating in the polls.

Some Lagosians attributed the widespread apathy to deep-rooted disillusionment with the electoral process. Mr Godfrey Johnson, a 54-year-old resident, summed up the prevailing sentiment: “What’s the point in voting when our votes don’t count? We’ve lost faith in the system. Until credible elections become a reality, people will continue to opt out.”

Many others echoed his views, describing the persistent lack of transparency in past elections as a major reason for public disengagement, despite repeated promises from government and electoral bodies to uphold democratic integrity.

Mr Taofeek Sumonu, 41, said he was not surprised by the low voter turnout. “This has become routine. People tend to ignore local government elections. It’s the governorship and presidential contests that attract real attention and participation,” he noted.

While electoral officials were stationed at various polling centres across the state, the overall atmosphere was subdued.

In many locations, only a small number of voters turned up to cast their ballots, reflecting the growing disconnect between citizens and grassroots political processes.