A candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Donatus Mathew, has been declared winner of the Kaura federal constituency of Kaduna State.
Matthew was a former Councillor before he fell on hard times and resorted to riding motorcycle (Okada transporation business) to make ends meet.
Declaring the result yesterday, the returning officer, Professor Elijah Ella, said Mathew polled a total of 10,508 to defeat the incumbent member and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Gideon Lucas Gwani, who came second, 10, 297 votes.
Said to be an honest and hardworking Nigerian, he got the support of his constituents who voter massively for him even when he had no money for electioneering.
He said the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) trailed with 9,919 votes, while that of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) secured 5,354 votes to come third and fourth respectively.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the declaration of the winner, the member-elect, Mr Donatus Mathew, thanked the electorate for the confidence reposed in him to represent them at the Green Chamber.
He, however, solicited for support and cooperation from the people while pledging to carry everyone along to achieve the desired success.
Reacting to the results, the incumbent member, who is also the minority whip in the House of Representatives, Mr Gideon Lucas Gwani, congratulated the member elect and wished him well.
He urged his supporters to remain calm and accept the will of the electorate, even as he noted that God gives and takes power.
(Leadership excepting headline and little edits)
