By Izunna Okafor, Awka
As the November 8, 2025 governorship election in Anambra State steadily draws closer, tricycle (Keke) riders in the state have joined the growing list of stakeholders who have thrown their weight behind the second term bid of the state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
The Keke operators, under the aegis of the Anambra Keke Drivers’ Forum (AKDF), made their position known on Monday during a special interactive session held in Awka, where they also unveiled a campaign sticker in honour of the Governor and to further mobilize support for his second term.
According to them, their endorsement and the unveiling of the sticker were in recognition and appreciation of Governor Soludo’s good governance, his numerous people-oriented projects, and the positive impact his administration has had on Keke operators and the general public.
Speaking at the well-attended event, the Organizer and Coordinator of the Forum, Comrade Osita Obi, noted that Governor Soludo had, in less than three years, demonstrated uncommon leadership and proven himself to be a visionary, courageous, and masses-oriented leader with the political will to address long-standing issues, reform the system, and transform the state.
He praised the Governor for his massive infrastructural development across the state, especially in rural and urban roads, which he said had drastically reduced vehicle maintenance costs and eased the movement of commuters and Keke riders.
Comrade Obi, a human rights activist, commended Soludo for eliminating over 70% of the touts and illegal revenue agents who once harassed and extorted Keke drivers, noting that such extortion was rampant under previous administrations. He recalled how, in 2022, he personally fell victim to an attack by union thugs, an experience that propelled him to deepen his involvement in the Forum’s activism.
He stressed that the Anambra Keke Drivers’ Forum was a true union of genuine Keke riders, unlike other self-acclaimed unions he described as “cartels” that were run by individuals who don’t own or ride any Keke but exploited and imposed levies on the real riders.
According to him, AKDF is a government-recognized body, founded on the principle that only real Keke drivers can be its members and leaders. This, he said, was in line with Soludo’s directive to sanitize the Keke transport sector and return it to the hands of professional drivers, rather than political agents or self-imposed leaders who never rode a Keke but dominated union leadership for selfish gain.
Highlighting the uniqueness of AKDF, Comrade Obi described it as a people-focused platform that does not impose indiscriminate or exorbitant levies on its members like other unions. He listed previous burdensome charges levied by those cartels, including ₦50,000 registration fees, ₦4,600 end-of-year party dues, ₦450 daily tickets, bucket and emblem levies, and even burial levies —practices he said AKDF has firmly rejected under Soludo’s leadership.
While specifically commending the Governor for listening to the voice of the people and suspending the Keke emblem levy and others, which he said were being used to exploit Keke drivers; he lauded the introduction of a fairer, single and more transparent ₦8,000 monthly tax that now goes directly to the government without middlemen He explained that although the state government initially pegged the monthly tax at ₦15,000, AKDF wrote to the Governor and appealed for a reduction, leading to its review down to ₦10,000 and later to ₦8,000.
“So, Keke drivers now pay less officially, as against before when they paid higher unofficially,” he stated.
He also disclosed that members of AKDF had recently embarked on a self-initiated inspection tour of the Governor’s completed and ongoing projects across the state, including at Okpoko, the new Government House, the revamped Alex Ekwueme Square, the Fun City project, and more. According to him, these visible transformation and others inspired the Forum’s decision to endorse and support Governor Soludo to continue with the good work.
While describing the endorsement event as a strategic in-house activity ahead of a grand rally, he disclosed that the Forum is already mobilizing between 7,000 and 15,000 Keke riders for a massive public declaration of support to the Governor once the campaign season officially begins. According to him, the Forum is not a praise singer or a mere support group looking for handouts at political rallies, but comprises real grassroots voters with PVCs, fully prepared to come out and vote en masse for Soludo on the election.
Comrade Obi further called on the government to expedite plans for a democratic election of union leaders among Keke drivers.
“These people seated here are true Keke riders. I am the only one among them who is not a Keke driver. But I coordinate them. The rest are bonafide riders who know the system, understand the challenges, and are in the best position to run union affairs. We are calling on the Governor to institutionalize this with elections to ensure genuine representation and open channels for future collaboration,” he appealed.
“These people here are the ones on the roads. They know what they faced before and what the situation is like now. And they can confidently tell you that Soludo is the best governor we’ve had. What he has done is unprecedented; and we must support him to continue the good work,” he concluded.
Also lending his voice, the State Chairman of the Forum, Comrade Ifeanyi Okafor, said Governor Soludo’s road projects had positively changed the transportation experience of Keke operators in the state. He noted that some roads that previously took over an hour to ply now take only 10 to 15 minutes, thanks to the Governor’s infrastructural interventions.
“If the constitution allowed it, we would be asking Soludo to go for a third term. But since it doesn’t, we are saying he must go for second term. We, the Keke riders in Anambra, are behind him,” he declared.
On his own part, the Onitsha and Ogbaru Zonal Coordinator of the Forum, Comrade Ugochukwu Adiele, recounted the harrowing experiences of Keke drivers before Soludo assumed office, including extortion, violence, and abuse from touts and impersonators who disguised as union officers.
According to him before no day would pass without any story that touts killed a Keke driver in Onitsha. He, however, attested that the difference now is clear, and applauded the Governor for restoring sanity, dignity, and security to the profession; while also assuring that they would do everything possible to see that Soludo does not struggle to win his second term come November 8.
In a similar vein, a Keke rider in the state, Yahaya Abdul Emmanuel, who hails from Kogi State who plies his trade in Anambra, testified that he had never felt freer and more respected in any other state than in Anambra under Soludo’s leadership. He described the Governor as a detribalized leader whose policies protect everyone regardless of origin, and encouraged his fellow non-indigenes to continue supporting him.
Yahaya also recalled that, previously, two or three Keke drivers could not gather together to discuss anything, without a tout coming there to inquire who gave them the authority to gather and what they were discussing. He however said they now have freedom of association, as those things and their days of nightmare were over since Soludo took over.
Among others, highpoint of the event was the official unveiling of a special sticker bearing the inscription “Soludo is the Best”, which the Keke riders said would be distributed across the state and affixed on their tricycles as a sign of support and endorsement for the Governor’s second term.
The Forum’s also emphasized that the move and the stickers were solely and willingly being sponsored and championed by the Keke drivers themselves, without any political influence or funding from the government or any political party, further reaffirming their genuine love and voluntary support for Governor Soludo.
More photos from the event:
