BREAKING: Donatus Mathew: The Kaduna Vote Where Okada Rider Won In LP Was From Peter Obi’s Phenomenon – Yusuf

Please Pay Attention: If you’re reading on PHOENIX, please click the “Read Original” button at the top right to view the full article.

Political strategist and policy advisor, Baba Yusuf has attributed the electoral success of a former commercial motorcyclist in Kaduna State to the widespread appeal of Peter Obi during the 2023 general elections.

Yusuf made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television, where he analysed the impact of the Labour Party’s surge, popularly referred to as the “Obidient movement,” on electoral outcomes across the country. He spoke as Group CEO of Global Investment & Trade Co., offering insight into how momentum from a presidential campaign can influence down-ballot races.

Speaking on the case of Donatus Mathew, a Kaduna lawmaker who was widely reported to have previously worked as an okada rider before winning a seat in the House of Representatives, Yusuf argued that the victory was largely driven by Obi’s popularity rather than individual political structures.

“The Kaduna vote where an Okada rider won in LP was from Peter Obi’s phenomenon,” Yusuf said.

Mathew, who emerged under the Labour Party platform, became a symbol of the political shift that characterised parts of the 2023 elections, where relatively unknown candidates secured victories on the back of a broader movement for change. His subsequent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress has, however, sparked debate among supporters and analysts about political loyalty and ideology.