Ex-Okada Rider Who Won Reps Seat Under LP Dumps Party, Joins APC
The Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives on Thursday lost four of its members to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Among those who defected is Donatus Mathew, an ex-okada rider who surged to victory on the wave of the Labour Party’s momentum during the 2023 election in Southern Kaduna.
Mathew, who represents the Kaura federal constituency under the LP, defeated Gideon Gwani, the House of Representatives Minority Chief Whip from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Other LP lawmakers who left for APC are Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), and Iyawe Esosa (Edo).
Similarly, the daughter of former Delta State Governor, Mr James Ibori, Erthiatake Ibori-Suenu, also ended her relationship with the Peoples Democratic Party as she joined the APC.
Confirming the development, Matthew, who represents Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, said the decision to defect to the APC is based on conviction.
READ ALSO: Reps Fume As Polytechnic With 142 Students Spent Over N600m On Personnel, Overhead
Asked if his imminent defection has the backing of his Constituency, 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 skeptical waiting for the outcome,” he said.
Their letter of defection to the APC was read on the floor of the Green Chamber by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas on Thursday.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
