2027: Transport Coalition Builds Unified Front as Obayendo Hosts Keke Riders’ Leadership

Prince Segun Obayendo, National Coordinator of the Transporters for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 campaign, on Thursday hosted a high-stakes meeting with the leadership of the United Keke Owners and Riders Association, led by Ambassador Aisha Mousa Lawal. The closed-door session, held at Obayendo’s private office in Abuja, marked a significant step toward consolidating Nigeria’s vast but historically fragmented transport sector ahead of the 2027 general elections.

At the heart of the discussions was a shared frustration: for years, transport unions have been courted during campaigns, mobilised to deliver votes, and then discarded the moment the results are certified. Both parties agreed that the 2027 cycle must be different.

Obayendo, who doubles as a Technical Adviser to the Vice-President on Transportation, Innovation and Logistics said the sector’s historical weakness lies in its fragmentation. “We have seen that once the election is over, nobody can hold anyone responsible. Everybody says they worked for the campaign, but nobody remembers them. That is because we were pushing them one by one,” he told the gathering. “If we come together and move in one direction, they will take us seriously, and our demands can be systematically achieved.”

He disclosed that the Vice-President had personally directed him to engage the Keke owners’ group, and confirmed that the broader Transport Task Force being built under the campaign would formally incorporate all serious transport associations.

Ambassador Lawal brought a blunt and pointed perspective to the table. She recounted her association’s bitter experience during the 2023 elections, when they supplied a campaign team with verified voter data, 100 names from every state, complete with their identification numbers, only to be abandoned after the polls. The data was tested against INEC records and confirmed accurate. But the engagement ended with the election.

“I am not going to let my people go through that again,” Lawal said. “We gave them everything. After the election, we did not hear from them.”

Her organisation now claims a footprint of over four million registered voters across the North-West alone, with a structured presence in all 36 states and the FCT. She argued that a credible, reciprocal relationship with the campaign would unlock that network, but only if the sector’s contributions are acknowledged and rewarded beyond election day.

Obayendo stressed that the campaign is moving beyond rhetoric. A nationwide coordination framework is already in motion, with state coordinators for all 36 states and the FCT, as well as 774 local government coordinators. The inaugural inauguration of this structure is slated for September 7, 2026.

He also underscored the importance of credible data, announcing a digital registration platform designed for union leaders to submit verified membership figures. “We do not want to wait until election day to know who will vote for us. The lesson from the Osun election is clear, we must know our numbers ahead of time,” he said, referencing past electoral defeats where opponents had superior data.

The meeting also addressed the need for cross-modal inclusivity. Obayendo acknowledged that earlier outreach had sometimes overlooked maritime, aviation, and rail workers, and pledged that the new coalition would integrate all transport operators, from commercial drivers to logistics personnel.

Ambassador Lawal welcomed the inclusive approach, noting that her association comprises Keke riders, commercial farmers, and logistics operators across the country. She reiterated her readiness to mobilise her structure for the 2027 campaign, provided there is a clear framework for accountability and post-election benefits.

Both parties agreed to a follow-up meeting next week, where union leaders from across the country will finalise the structure of the Transport Task Force and nominate state and local government coordinators. Obayendo also promised to facilitate a meeting between the Keke owners’ leadership and the Vice-President in the near future.

The meeting closed with a group photograph and a pledge to move forward “as one family.” As Obayendo put it: “We cannot do it alone. The more the merrier, and we will ensure that our dividends do not pass us by.”

By Olusemire Jegede