Meet ex-LP ‘Okada rider’ turned-lawmaker who lost APC ticket after defection

As the All Progressives Congress concluded its House of Representatives and senatorial primaries across states ahead of the 2027 general election, indications have emerged that about 70 members of the current 10th National Assembly will not return.

Among the notable names is Donatus Mathew, the former commercial motorcycle rider popularly known as the “okada rider”, whose dramatic rise from the streets of Kaduna to the green chamber once captured national attention.

The APC currently controls 242 seats in the House of Representatives and 88 seats in the Senate, with many lawmakers seeking re-election tickets ahead of the next electoral cycle. However, Mathew, who was elected in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party to represent Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna State before defecting to the APC, has now emerged among lawmakers not returning after losing the party primaries.

Mathew first rose to national prominence during the 2023 general elections when he defeated a four-term incumbent in Kaura Federal Constituency, polling 10,508 votes against his closest rival’s 10,297 votes in one of the biggest upsets recorded during the election.

His victory under the Labour Party was widely celebrated as a symbol of grassroots political awakening, particularly at the peak of the “Obi wave” that swept across parts of the country during the presidential election campaign of former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi.

Born in 1988 in Kpak, Kagoro Chiefdom of Kaura Local Government Area in Kaduna State, Mathew’s story stood out because of his humble beginnings.

He attended LGEA Primary School in Kadarko before proceeding to Saint Jani Seminary School and later Teachers’ College, Kagoro, where he completed his secondary education. He subsequently earned a degree in philosophy from Saint Albert Institute.

Before entering national politics, Mathew worked as an Okada rider, a job he once said helped him survive during difficult economic times and unemployment.

“Before I became a councillor, I was an okada man. I used a bike to sustain myself, and I am proud of that. That is my humble beginning,” he said in an interview.

According to him, he initially joined the Labour Party to support Obi’s presidential ambition before party supporters and constituents persuaded him to contest for the House of Representatives seat.

He had said his decision to run was driven by the desire to provide credible leadership for his constituency and encourage ordinary Nigerians from humble backgrounds not to see politics as exclusive to elites.

However, in December 2024, Mathew defected from the Labour Party to the APC, citing internal crises within the opposition party and the need for broader political stability.

He said, “You cannot just work on the decision of the people at the constituency level because you are dealing with people with different levels of understanding.

“I am taking this decision based on conviction. That is why whether you like it or not, there are people within the constituency who are convinced that it (defection) is the right decision for them. There are those who are sceptical, waiting for the outcome.”

The move immediately generated backlash among many of his supporters, especially constituents who believed the Labour Party movement and grassroots mobilisation were responsible for his emergence in 2023.

During the APC primaries ahead of the 2027 elections, Mathew reportedly polled just 255 votes, while his rival secured 1,085 votes in the contest, a development political observers interpreted as evidence of the difficulty defectors often face while trying to penetrate entrenched party structures.

Other former LP federal lawmakers, who defected to the APC only to lose their re-election tickets in the APC primaries, include: Esosa Iyawe, who lost Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State, to Dr Paddy Iyamu; Senator Neda Imasuen, Edo South; Tochukwu Okere (Imo); Bassey Akiba (Cross River); and Daulyop Fom (Plateau), among others.

APC Senators, who will not return on account of losing the primaries, withdrawing or stepping down, include Senators Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), Diket Plang (Plateau Central), Osita Izunaso (Imo West), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), Titus Zam (Benue West), Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central), Saliu Mustapha (Kwara) and Ned Nwoko (Delta North).

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