The member-elect for the Kaura Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Donatus Matthew, has revealed how he won the February 25 National Assembly on the platform of the Labour Party.
Donatus from Kpak, Kagoro chiefdom in the Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State said that he joined the Labour Party to work for the presidential candidate.
“But later on, in the course of events, many people came up to suggest that I should go into the contest, which I reluctantly went into, because I never intended to before now. However, after due consultation, people insisted that I should come for service and that triggered my interest. That was the simple reason why I joined the contest.
The wrong idea people had was that one must have money and that one must have a big car; that is wrong. So, they focused on those who had money and big cars. They minded me riding a motorcycle. So, that was why many people could not understand that I was campaigning because they knew I rode a motorcycle and I don’t know if my movement on a motorcycle was what made them think that I was not campaigning. That is left for them. But as far as I am concerned, we took our time; we went round, we met with people, begged them for their support, we solicited their support for which, at the end of the day we had every cause to glorify the Lord.” He disclosed
According to him, what led to his victory was a collective decision of the people of Kaura, most especially, the youth, who seriously needed that change and who believed in him. “They put their trust in me; they came out en masse and stood by me, and I am thanking them for that.” He added
Donatus Matthew pledged to do his best to help the people and bring succour.
“We can only go to the government, both at the state and federal levels, to solicit assistance and see if we can lobby them to draw their attention to the people.
I have come with certain experience of what is happening as regards insecurity. I have been a councillor twice and during my two tenures, I experienced security issues. So, I have a clear understanding of what the solution can be. There must be sanity in the Kaura Local Government Area. There must be dialogue. There must be understanding among the communities. There must be understanding among the different religious groups. There must be a clear understanding of the difference between the herdsmen and the farmers, the Fulani and the natives. All of these are some of the issues that we will have to look into to also bring these people together so that there will be harmony and understanding.
Speaking on his business as Okada Rider, he stated that riding Okada is just like any other business that puts food on the table.
“These (Okada riders) are a unique set of people in every society. When a visitor visits a town or community, they (Okada riders) are the first contact to convey passengers to their destinations. They also help in identifying people with negative intentions. My experience helped me to meet and interact with people from different backgrounds.
I live most of my life in Kagoro, and I know what it means to get a meal in a day to put on the table. As you grow from one level to another, you learn how to assist others. I have visited almost all the nooks and crannies of my constituency and I am aware of their peculiar challenges. That’ll guide me on what to do for my people. In the course of my experience as an Okada rider, I gained knowledge of what’s called human existence.” He submitted
Credit: The Punch News
