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By Sunday Ani
The people of Oru West, Oguta, and Ohaji-Egbema Federal Constituency of Imo State have commenced grassroots mobilisation to ensure electoral victory for Chief Joseph Chukwuma Ikunna in the 2027 election into the House of Representatives. The people’s support, according to Chukwu, is due to Ikunna’s longstanding interventions in the area.
A frontliner in the support network, Ifeanyi Abel Chukwu, said the mobilisation was being driven largely by testimonies of Ikunna’s activities in the constituency before his current political ambition.
Ikunna, who is the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is seeking to represent Oru West, Oguta, and Ohaji-Egbema federal constituency in the National Assembly. Chukwu noted that his decision to seek elective office would give him the opportunity to convert his years of private-sector experience, community intervention, and philanthropy into formal public representation.
He stressed that one of the recurring themes in the testimonies by his supporters is that his relationship with the people of the federal constituency did not begin with his political aspirations. He pointed to his reported investments in enterprise, employment, renewable energy, community infrastructure, education support, and youth empowerment as examples of activities undertaken before his current bid for the legislative seat.
A British-born Nigerian entrepreneur and industrialist from Mgbidi in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, Ikunna has built business interests spanning distribution, manufacturing, agro-processing, and renewable energy.
He is said to have established businesses, including Nairastretch Nigeria Ltd and Bulldog Nigeria Ltd, and also involved in distribution activities that have created employment opportunities. His business interests are also linked to international markets through Bulldog FMCG UK.
Chukwu said his supporters have drawn attention to his investment in agro-processing and renewable energy, arguing that the
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experiences have shaped his views on employment, electricity supply, and industrial development. They also cited his palm-kernel processing investment in Mgbidi and his subsequent move into solar energy as evidence of an approach that seeks to connect local resources with employment and economic opportunities.
Speaking on his activities, Chukwu said his renewable-energy initiative had provided solar electricity to over 1,000 homes, while solar street-lighting projects have also been undertaken in his community.
During an interactive engagement with residents of Ohaji-Egbema in April, Ikunna talked about his ‘Light Up Uzinaumu Project,’ which he said had helped to install over 290 of solar street lights in the area. He said the projects had become a major campaign point by his teeming supporters, who have argued that community interventions predated his current political campaign.
“Supporters have been sharing personal accounts and testimonies about his assistance to individuals, young people, businesses, and community initiatives. These testimonies have become the basis for the people’s decision to mobilise support for his candidacy,” Chukwu said.
Ikunna’s proposed development agenda for the constituency includes electricity and energy development, agro-processing, small and medium-scale enterprises, youth empowerment, digital skills, infrastructure, and partnerships with the government’s intervention agencies and private-sector organisations.
However, addressing his supporters from the 33 wards in the constituency, Ikunna stressed the need for Nigeria to develop stronger regional economic structures and give the federating units greater capacity to harness their resources for development.
With political activities for the 2027 elections gathering momentum, the mobilisation adds another layer to the contest for the Oru West, Oguta, and Ohaji-Egbema Federal Constituency seat.
