2027: Keke Riders Join Transporters’ Coalition as Obayendo Pushes for Unified Sector
Prince Segun Obayendo, National Coordinator of the Transporters for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 campaign, on Thursday convened a crucial meeting with the leadership of the United Keke Owners and Riders Association, led by Ambassador Aisha Mousa Lawal. The session, which took place at Obayendo’s private office in Abuja, signals a deliberate effort to weld Nigeria’s disjointed transport sector into a single political force ahead of the 2027 elections.
The conversation revolved around a recurring grievance: transport unions are routinely mobilised during campaigns, used to secure votes, then abandoned once the results are declared. Both sides agreed that this cycle must be broken.
Obayendo, who serves as Technical Adiviser to the Vice-President on Transportation, Logistics and Innovation argued that the sector’s past failures stem from operating in silos. “After every election, everyone claims they worked for the campaign, yet no one remembers them. That is because we were all pushing in different directions,” he said. “If we move as one body, they will have no choice but to take us seriously, and our demands can be met systematically.”
He revealed that the Vice-President had personally instructed him to reach out to the Keke owners’ group, and confirmed that the larger Transport Task Force being assembled under the campaign would absorb all credible transport associations.
Ambassador Lawal did not mince words. She recounted how her association had provided a campaign team with verified voter data, 100 names from each state, complete with INEC-verified numbers, only to be ignored after the election. The data was tested and confirmed accurate, but the relationship ended at the polling booth.
“I will not take my people through that again,” Lawal said flatly. “We gave them what they asked for. After the election, they stopped answering our calls.”
Her organisation now claims over four million registered voters in the North-West alone, with a presence in every state and the FCT. She insisted that any engagement with the campaign must be reciprocal and outlast the election cycle.
Obayendo outlined the campaign’s structural plans: state coordinators for all 36 states and the FCT, plus 774 local government coordinators. The formal inauguration is set for September 7, 2026. He also stressed the need for verifiable membership data, announcing a digital platform where union leaders can submit accurate figures.
“We cannot afford to wait until election day to know who will vote for us. The Osun election taught us that, those with better data win,” he said, alluding to past electoral upsets.
The meeting also touched on cross-modal integration. Obayendo acknowledged that previous outreach had neglected maritime, aviation, and rail workers, and promised that the new coalition would embrace all transport workers, from truckers to logistics handlers.
Lawal welcomed the inclusive approach, noting that her association includes Keke riders, commercial farmers, and logistics operators nationwide. She affirmed her willingness to mobilise her entire structure for the 2027 campaign, on condition that the engagement does not end with the election.
Both parties agreed to a follow-up meeting next week to finalise the Transport Task Force structure and nominate state and local government coordinators. Obayendo also pledged to arrange a meeting between the Keke owners’ leadership and the Vice-President.
The session closed with a group photograph and a shared commitment to move forward as a united bloc. As Obayendo put it: “We cannot do this alone. The more we are together, the stronger we are, and we will ensure that our reward does not escape us.”