15/06/2026
Okada Riders Dump PDP, APC to Crown ADC’s Ogbodo as Enugu East’s New Kingmaker
In a move that could shake up the 2027 Enugu East senate race, the powerful Enugu East Motorcycle Riders Association has thrown its full weight behind Hon. Jeph Afam Ogbodo of the African Democratic Congress.
Top leaders of the riders’ group, representing all six local government areas in the senatorial zone, stormed Ogbodo’s home in Akegbe-Ugwu to declare their support for his 2027 campaign. The visit was short but loud in meaning. For a party like ADC that many wrote off, winning the trust of thousands of okada riders is a major upset.
A spokesman for the riders said they chose Ogbodo because he listens to ordinary people. He said riders are tired of empty promises from big parties while they struggle with bad roads, high fuel prices, police harassment, and tough licensing rules. According to him, Ogbodo talks about jobs, better roads, and protecting small businesses. That is the language riders understand.
Ogbodo is well known in Enugu as a voice on public issues. He pushes for honest government, good roads, and programs that help people feed themselves. These are the same problems okada riders face every day. With this endorsement, he gains not just votes but street credibility. In Nigerian politics, okada unions can turn crowds into votes and turn quiet support into noise on election day.
This is not Ogbodo’s first grassroots win. The Ebubechukwu Uzo Coalition, a non-partisan group, had already backed him after checking his record for honesty, skill, and commitment to good governance. That group is now moving across Enugu East to tell people why they chose him.
Ogbodo has been busy selling his message on popular stations like Dream FM 92.5, Prime Sports 104.9 FM, and Urban Radio 94.5 FM. His team believes talking directly to market people, drivers, and riders will matter more than billboards in 2027.
The endorsement shows a shift in how politics works in Enugu. Big men no longer decide everything. Unions of workers and small business owners now demand a seat at the table.
As the 2027 election draws closer, support from groups like the Motorcycle Riders Association may decide who wins Enugu East. For now, Ogbodo has the riders, the momentum, and a headline that the big parties cannot ignore.