Commuters in Lagos suffered business losses, missed appointments and prolonged delays on Tuesday as the diversion of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses for the All Progressives Congress (APC) PBAT door-to-door Movement distribution of campaign Vehicles for the 2027 election disrupted public transportation across parts of the state. The development affected commuters at the Abule Egba, Ile-Epo and Iyana-Ipaja terminals, where long queues formed as passengers waited to board buses to their various destinations. LEADERSHIP reports that the incident has raised concerns about the impact of political campaign logistics on public transportation, particularly in Lagos, where thousands of residents depend on BRT services for their daily movement. APC Slams Atiku For Addressing Tinubu As ‘Bola’ Ex-Militants Laud Tinubu, Otuaro For Sustaining N/Delta Amnesty Initiative AI: Lagos Civil Servants Get 90 Days To Deliver Results For small-scale traders, delays in reaching markets can mean lost selling hours and reduced opportunities to make daily sales. For workers, prolonged waiting times can lead to lateness, missed appointments and disruptions to workplace productivity. Traders, workers and other residents were left stranded at major BRT terminals, with passengers reporting waits of more than two hours as the reduced number of available buses struggled to meet commuting demands. The buses were reportedly deployed for the APC door-to-door campaign scheduled to hold at Onikan Stadium, Lagos, leaving many commuters to bear the consequences of the shortage. A ticketing officer at one of the terminals, who confirmed the development to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, attributed the disruption to the deployment of buses for the political campaign. “Lagosians should manage us the way they see us today. The buses have been deployed for APC door-to-door,” the officer said. The disruption sparked complaints from commuters, many of whom said they had arrived early at the terminals to meet business and personal obligations but were unable to travel as planned. A Lagos Island-bound passenger and trader, Kehinde Lawal, said she had spent more than two hours in a queue, jeopardising her plans to purchase goods for her business. “It was hell for me today. I have been here for over two hours. I came early because I wanted to get to Lagos Island on time to purchase my goods, but I am still on the queue. “There is a shortage of buses because they have deployed a sizeable number for the APC door-to-door campaign. I do not even know when I will return to the mainland because buses may also be unavailable for the return journey,” she lamented. For traders like Lawal, the delays threatened not only their daily schedules but also the time available to source goods, serve customers and generate revenue. The disruption also affected workers and other commuters whose daily activities depend on reliable transportation between the mainland and Lagos Island. Another commuter, Ikechukwu Obasi, said he had missed an early-morning appointment on Lagos Island because of the long queues and limited number of available buses. Obasi alleged that 50 buses had been deployed by each operating company for the campaign, adding that the development had affected transportation services across the terminals. “The politicians should leave us out when planning their campaign activities. Our businesses have now been affected because of their campaign. “They should not add to the hardship we are already experiencing by removing buses meant for the masses. They should look for alternative ways of providing transportation for their campaign and leave our BRT buses for us,” he said. Another stranded passenger, Kelvin Adewuyi, expressed concern that the shortage of buses had resulted in overcrowding, with some available vehicles allegedly carrying passengers beyond their intended capacity. He warned that overcrowding could compromise passenger safety and comfort, urging the Lagos State Government to ensure that political activities did not disrupt the movement of residents. “It is pathetic. The Lagos State Government should ensure that campaign activities do not affect the movement of Lagosians around the metropolis. If Lagos is truly a megacity, situations like this should not be encouraged,” he said. Adewuyi said the disruption had affected workers, traders and other residents, with some missing appointments and business deals while others arrived late at work and markets. “People have missed appointments and business deals, while some are arriving late at the market and at work. This is not how a megacity should operate,” he stressed. Efforts to obtain the response of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) proved abortive, as text messages sent to its spokesman, Kolawole Ojelabi, had not been answered as of the time of filing this report. The agency’s response on
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