Mr. Donatus Mathew, former commercial motorcycle rider popularly known as the “okada rider”, whose surprise rise from the streets of Kaduna to the House of Representatives have lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
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, is among the 70 members of the current 10th National Assembly who will not return to the green carpet chamber.
Recall that his victory under the Labour Party was widely celebrated as a symbol of grassroots political awakening, specifically 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.
But 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.
