To encourage residents to take part in the ongoing voter registration across Nigeria, the government of Lagos state has said passengers who can show their voter’s card will be allowed to ride free on its intra-city buses, tagged LAGBUS, on Thursday and Friday. LAGBUS Managing Director Tunde Disu said the free ride would start at 9am local time and end at 3pm on all existing routes.
He said the voter’s card would be the fare ticket for the ride, and that the free service was aimed at encouraging Lagosians who have yet to register.
State governments have been devising several means, including work-free days and free meals, to encourage people to register.
The exercise has been dogged by controversy, due to problems with the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines being used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The two-week exercise which started 15 January is due to end Saturday, but there are indications that it will be extended to allow more people to register.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives (parliament) amended the Electoral Act to give INEC the power to extend the exercise.
INEC has said it plans to register 70 million people for April’s general elections.