Seven villages in Ogidi-Ala/Okpuruozo, Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, have launched a grassroots mobilisation initiative in support of Governor Alex Otti’s re-election bid in 2027.
The initiative, known as the Walk for Victory Movement, was inaugurated on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with a solidarity and fitness walk under the theme, “One Walk, One Voice, One Goal 2027”.
The event brought together community leaders, youths, elderly residents, political stakeholders, Labour Party members, Abia Arise members, Women Traders Vanguard, Ultimate Forum and other grassroots political groups from the seven villages.
The participating communities; Umunko, Umunevo, Umunkpeyi, Umuawuru, Umuejea, Umuogele and Mgbokonta – used the exercise to demonstrate their support for Governor Otti and his administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The procession which began at Umunevo, moved through Ururuka Road to Umunkpeyi and ended at Umuawuru, attracting residents and supporters along the route.
Speaking during an interview, the Secretary of Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Council, Barrister Iyke Ogbonna, said the communities were firmly aligned with the Labour Party and determined to deliver overwhelming support for Governor Otti and other candidates of the party in 2027.
He expressed confidence that every polling unit in the area would deliver 100 per cent votes for the governor and other Labour Party candidates.
Ogbonna who acknowledged that the area recorded relatively few votes during the 2023 general elections, said he was optimistic that the 2027 polls would produce a significantly different result, with increased support for the incumbent governor.
Also speaking, one of the organisers and former National Vice-President, South-East, of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Commander Smart Uwakwe, said his support for Governor Otti was informed by what he described as the administration’s commitment to prioritising the welfare and interests of the people.
Uwakwe, who disclosed that he had formally joined the Labour Party after previously belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party, said his political experience had reinforced the importance of supporting a government that placed the people at the centre of its policies and programmes.
He further disclosed that some prominent members of opposition political parties in the state had indicated interest in joining the Labour Party, adding that their formal unveiling would take place soon.
According to him, the planned defections would further strengthen the party’s grassroots structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
Uwakwe announced that the Walk for Victory exercise would become a fortnightly event, holding every two Saturdays.
He explained that the initiative was designed not only to promote physical fitness but also to sustain grassroots mobilisation, foster political unity and prepare supporters to protect their votes during the forthcoming elections.
The youth leader urged residents to safeguard their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), stressing that active participation in the electoral process would be critical to achieving their political objectives.
Also, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Ifeoma Thomas, highlighted the Otto led administration’s infrastructure interventions in the area, citing the planned reconstruction of the long-abandoned Umunkpeyi–Umunko–Amachi Road.
She recalled that the Governor had awarded the road project for reconstruction a few months ago, describing the decision as a significant step towards addressing longstanding infrastructure challenges confronting rural communities.
Thomas particularly noted that the road had been upgraded from Grade B to Grade A, saying the decision reflects the present administration’s commitment to delivering quality infrastructure and lasting value to the people.
In his remarks, the Secretary of the Abia State Tricycle Operators Union (ASTOPU), Aba Zone, Comrade Kenneth Nwosu, dismissed claims that Ogidi-Ala/Okpuruozo was an All Progressives Congress stronghold.
He cautioned against what he described as attempts to misrepresent the political position of the communities, insisting that the area had embraced the Labour Party and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Nwosu reaffirmed the communities’ support for Governor Otti, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, House of Representatives member Ginger Onwusibe and Hon. Rowland Dennis Chiwendu, popularly known as Caesar.
He expressed confidence that the forthcoming elections would provide an opportunity for residents to demonstrate their political preferences through the ballot.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Industry and SMEs, Mrs Chinwe Kalu Uba, who is also the pioneer of the Women Traders Vanguard, and the Labour Party Women Leader in Isiala Ngwa South, Chief Lady Veronica Orih, also underscored the importance of the initiative.
They called for greater participation by women in the movement, reaffirming their commitment to mobilising women across the seven communities to strengthen grassroots engagement, promote unity and advance the movement’s objectives.
Beyond its fitness component, the maiden Walk for Victory exercise provided a platform for community engagement and political mobilisation, bringing together residents and supporters from different age groups and political structures.
Organisers said the exercise would continue every fortnight as part of efforts to sustain grassroots mobilisation and build support for Governor Otti’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general elections.
