Powerful interests allegedly feeding fat on Lagos’ chaotic informal transport system are frustrating efforts to modernise public transportation, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, has declared, accusing successive administrations of lacking the political will to confront the entrenched agbero network.
Doherty alleged that the continued dominance of rickety commercial buses and the failure to overhaul the state’s transport system were not accidental, but sustained by vested interests benefiting from the existing arrangement.
The NDC candidate vowed that his administration, if elected in 2027, would break the influence of the agbero network and modernise public transportation, insisting that he would be accountable to Lagos voters rather than powerful informal transport operators.
In a direct challenge to successive administrations, the NDC candidate questioned why Lagos, despite its economic importance and growing population, had failed to establish a modern, efficient and properly regulated public transportation system capable of meeting the needs of its residents.
He declared that his administration would not be controlled by transport unions or informal networks, insisting that his electoral mandate would come from the people rather than the agbero system.
Doherty made the allegations on Sunday during the Lagos governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium,
Taking aim at the condition of public transportation in the state, he lamented that thousands of ageing commercial buses continued to dominate the roads, exposing commuters to an inefficient system despite years of government promises to transform the sector.
“Our public transportation system is not modernised. Thousands of rickety buses are moving around. We must ask ourselves: are these what our people deserve? Why has it taken so long to modernise public transportation?” he asked.
The governorship hopeful argued that the persistence of the problem pointed to deeper interests beyond administrative shortcomings, alleging that some beneficiaries of the existing transport arrangement had a stake in preventing meaningful reforms.
He identified the agbero system as part of an entrenched network operating around informal commercial transportation, claiming that the political will to confront its influence had been lacking.
“In my opinion, the lack of modern transportation is not by accident. There are vested interests in operating the bus system the way it is. Many of us understand the agbero system; there is an ecosystem around it, and there is no political will to deal with that problem,” he said.
The allegation places the influence of informal transport operators and their networks at the centre of the emerging political debate over the future of Lagos transportation, one of the most critical issues affecting millions of residents who depend on commercial buses for their daily movements.
For commuters, the consequences of the existing system include unreliable services, congestion, uncomfortable journeys and the persistent challenge of navigating an increasingly demanding urban transport environment.
Doherty, however, maintained that the situation could be changed through deliberate political action and a government willing to challenge interests that have allegedly benefited from the status quo.
He promised a comprehensive overhaul of public transportation, stressing that his administration would prioritise the interests of commuters rather than surrender its policies to informal transport networks.
The NDC candidate was particularly emphatic that his government would derive its authority from the electorate and would not owe its political survival to the agbero network.
“We would modernise public transportation because we would be elected by the people and not by the agbero network,” he declared.
His remarks are likely to intensify scrutiny of the state’s transport management system as political parties and governorship candidates begin to position their proposals ahead of the 2027 election.
Lagos has continued to pursue various transportation initiatives, including mass transit and rail development, but the dominance of informal commercial buses remains a major feature of daily commuting across the state.
Doherty’s central argument is that infrastructure investments and transport policies cannot deliver the desired transformation without confronting the vested interests he alleges are benefiting from the existing arrangement.
His challenge also raises a broader question about the political will required to reform a transport sector in which informal operators play a significant role in moving residents across the metropolis.
For the NDC candidate, the choice facing Lagos is between preserving a system he considers outdated and politically protected or undertaking a decisive transformation that places commuters and efficient public transportation at the heart of government policy.