NEWS
APC Rejects Ex-Okada Rider Turned Lawmaker: Labour Party Defector Rep Donatus Matthew Suffers Major Setback as Ruling Party Denies Him Return Ticket Ahead of 2027 Elections
The political journey of Rep Donatus Matthew, popularly known as “Okada Rider,” has taken a dramatic twist following his reported disqualification from the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Donatus Matthew, who made national headlines in 2023 after emerging victorious in the Kaura Federal Constituency House of Representatives election under the platform of the Labour Party (LP), is now among the lawmakers who may not return to the National Assembly in 2027.
The lawmaker, who became widely celebrated for his humble background as a commercial motorcycle rider before venturing into politics, had officially defected from the Labour Party to the APC in December 2024, a move that generated mixed reactions within Kaduna State political circles.
However, in a surprising development, the APC hierarchy reportedly denied him the party’s ticket after screening exercises, effectively ending his immediate hopes of returning to the House of Representatives under the ruling party.
Donatus Matthew rose to political prominence during the 2023 general elections when he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Kaduna politics. Contesting under the Labour Party, he defeated the then-incumbent lawmaker representing Kaura Federal Constituency, Gideon Lucas Gwani of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In the keenly contested election, Donatus secured 10,508 votes to emerge winner, while the PDP candidate and incumbent lawmaker polled 10,297 votes. The APC candidate came third with 9,919 votes.
The victory was widely celebrated by many Nigerians who viewed his emergence as a symbol of grassroots democracy and proof that ordinary citizens could rise to occupy important political offices.
Following the outcome of the election, the PDP candidate rejected the results and proceeded to challenge the victory at the Election Petition Tribunal, seeking to be declared the rightful winner of the poll.
Despite surviving the intense political contest that brought him into office, Donatus Matthew now faces a fresh political hurdle after losing out in the APC screening process, a development that has sparked reactions among political observers and supporters across Kaduna State.
His exclusion from the APC ticket race further highlights the growing internal battles and fierce competition currently rocking party primaries ahead of the 2027 elections, as several serving lawmakers continue to battle for political survival within their respective parties.