*CAD Says Court Order Reinforces Civil Liberties; Amadi’s Organisation Promises Legal Response
From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
A human rights organisation, Civic Action for Democracy (CAD), has commended the Nigerian judiciary over an interim restraining order reportedly issued in a suit instituted by Hon. Collins Opurozor against Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi and other respondents.
The group also praised the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for what it described as professionalism and leadership in handling issues surrounding the escalating political disagreement between Amadi and Opurozor.
The order, reportedly issued by Justice Emeka Orafu of the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, sitting in Mgbidi, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, relates to suit No. HOU/112/2026.
According to CAD, the order restrains Amadi and agents of the Nigeria Police Force from allegedly threatening to arrest, harassing, intimidating, inviting, torturing, pursuing, laying ambush for or detaining Opurozor in connection with the allegations in the suit, pending the hearing of the substantive matter, reportedly scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
The group disclosed this during an emergency press briefing in Owerri on Saturday, where its Executive Director, Mazi Franklin Ngoforo, addressed journalists alongside other members of the organisation.
Ngoforo urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force Cybercrime Centre in Abuja remained focused on investigating genuine cybercrime offences rather than being used to settle political disagreements.
“We urge him to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force Cybercrime Centre in Abuja exists to tackle genuine cybercrime, not to become an instrument for avenging the political grievances of desperate opposition politicians,” he said.
He also called for an investigation into the conduct of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police serving as director of the centre, alleging concerns about the officer’s political neutrality and possible willingness to be used against supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Imo State.
These allegations have not been independently verified.
Amadi is the Action Peoples Party (APP) candidate for the Owerri Senatorial Zone in the 2027 general elections, while Opurozor serves as Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Electronic and Creative Media.
The two men have been engaged in a public political disagreement, with Amadi criticising the Uzodimma administration’s Shared Prosperity agenda and 3R administrative mantra, while Opurozor has defended the governor’s administration and challenged Amadi over his political ambitions and antecedents.
Describing the reported court order as a victory for civil liberties, Ngoforo said it demonstrated that political ambitions should not override citizens’ fundamental rights.
He argued that political aspirants must be prepared to answer questions about their records, intentions and ambitions without resorting to intimidation or using security agencies against critics.
“It is to be noted that Chima Amadi wants to be senator for Owerri Zone and governor of Imo State at the same time. Two positions in one election cycle! Apparently, one office is no longer enough for his appetite for power,” Ngoforo alleged.
He maintained that the controversy raised questions about how a political aspirant would respond to public scrutiny if elected to office.
“We ask: If Amadi cannot withstand the questions of one man, how does he intend to withstand demands for accountability from the entire Owerri Zone or Imo State?” he queried.
The CAD director further alleged that the disagreement had exposed what he described as Amadi’s intolerance of criticism. He warned against using state institutions to intimidate political opponents.
The group also accused Amadi of inconsistency, arguing that while he had exercised his freedom to criticise the Uzodimma administration, he had allegedly sought police intervention when Opurozor questioned his political history, motives and ambitions.
According to Ngoforo, disagreements between political actors should be addressed through facts, public debate and lawful remedies rather than intimidation.
“If Amadi believes that Opurozor is wrong, he should answer him with facts. If his political record can withstand interrogation, he should open it to examination. But seeking to use the police to settle political scores is an admission of a failure to engage on equal democratic terms,” he said.
He added that public office should not shield political aspirants from legitimate questions about their suitability for leadership.
Ngoforo described Opurozor as an activist, political scientist, scholar, strategic communicator, APC chieftain and serving appointee of the Uzodimma administration.
He said citizens’ right to scrutinise political aspirants before elections was fundamental to democratic accountability and commended the court for intervening in the dispute.
The group maintained that the reported order had implications beyond the two men involved, arguing that journalists, activists, scholars and ordinary citizens should be able to question political aspirants without fear of retaliatory harassment.
In a related development, Opurozor, in a one-page press statement, described his criticism of Amadi as a moral struggle to protect Imo State’s democratic space from what he characterised as emerging anti-people and anti-democratic tendencies.
He alleged that Amadi had resorted to oppression, intimidation and coercion in responding to criticism, adding that the controversy had raised concerns about the treatment of dissenting voices in the state.
Opurozor also argued that individuals seeking legislative office must demonstrate a commitment to democratic principles, including respect for civil liberties and freedom of expression.
“The legislature is the symbol of democracy. Those seeking seats in it must possess rich democratic credentials,” he stated.
He further contended that citizens’ right to question the antecedents and political ambitions of those seeking elective office was an essential component of democratic participation.
Congratulating the people of Owerri Senatorial Zone, Opurozor said the controversy had drawn public attention to issues he considered important to the future of democratic governance in Imo State.
He also expressed the view that the allegations surrounding the dispute should inform public assessment of political aspirants seeking to represent the people.
However, when contacted for his reaction to the allegations levelled by CAD and Opurozor, Chief Henry Onwukwe, popularly known as Apiti, the Director-General of Amadi’s campaign organisation, said he was not in a position to respond immediately.
He assured that the organisation’s legal team would meet to consider the issues and take the necessary steps.
The latest development adds another dimension to the growing political disagreement between the two men ahead of the 2027 general elections.
With the substantive matter reportedly scheduled for hearing on Wednesday, October 14, attention is expected to focus on the court proceedings and any further responses from the parties involved.
