A human rights organisation has praised the Nigerian judiciary for an interim restraining order issued in a suit filed by Hon. Collins Opurozor against Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi and other respondents.
Civic Action for Democracy (CAD) said the order, issued on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, by Justice Emeka Orafu of the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, sitting in Mgbidi, 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. The order, in suit No. HOU/112/2026, remains in force pending the hearing of the substantive matter, scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
CAD disclosed the development during an emergency press briefing in Owerri on Saturday. Its Executive Director, Mazi Franklin Ngoforo, addressed journalists alongside other members of the group.
Ngoforo also commended the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for what the organisation described as professionalism and leadership in handling issues around the political disagreement between Amadi and Opurozor. He urged the IGP to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force Cybercrime Centre in Abuja focuses on genuine cybercrime offences rather than being used to settle political scores.
“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,” Ngoforo said. He further called for an investigation into the conduct of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police serving as director of the centre, citing 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. Opurozor serves as Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Electronic and Creative Media. The two have been locked in a public political disagreement, with Amadi criticising the Uzodimma administration’s Shared Prosperity agenda and 3R mantra, while Opurozor has defended the governor’s record and questioned Amadi’s political ambitions and antecedents.
Ngoforo described the reported court order as a victory for civil liberties, arguing that political ambitions should not override citizens’ fundamental rights. He said political aspirants must be prepared to answer questions about their records without resorting to intimidation or the use of 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 questioned how Amadi would handle demands for accountability from the wider public if he could not withstand scrutiny from one individual.
The CAD director accused Amadi of inconsistency, saying the aspirant had freely criticised the Uzodimma administration yet allegedly sought police intervention when Opurozor raised questions about his political history, motives and ambitions. Disagreements between political actors, Ngoforo said, should be resolved 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 stated.
Ngoforo described Opurozor as an activist, political scientist, scholar, strategic communicator, APC chieftain and serving appointee of the Uzodimma administration. He said the right of citizens to scrutinise political aspirants before elections is fundamental to democratic accountability and that the court order has wider implications for journalists, activists, scholars and ordinary citizens who wish to question aspirants without fear of retaliatory harassment.
In a related one-page press statement, Opurozor characterised his criticism of Amadi as a moral struggle to protect Imo State’s democratic space from what he called emerging anti-people and anti-democratic tendencies. He alleged that Amadi had resorted to oppression, intimidation and coercion in response to criticism and argued that those seeking legislative office must demonstrate 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,” Opurozor said. He maintained that citizens’ right to question the antecedents and ambitions of those seeking elective office is essential to democratic participation and congratulated the people of Owerri Senatorial Zone for the public attention the controversy has drawn to issues he considers important to the future of democratic governance in the state.
When contacted for a response to the allegations by CAD and Opurozor, Chief Henry Onwukwe, popularly known as Apiti and 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 necessary steps.
The development adds a new dimension to the escalating political disagreement between the two men ahead of the 2027 general elections. Attention is expected to focus on the court proceedings scheduled for October 14 and any further responses from the parties involved.
A story of courage, wonder, and the transformative power of self-belief; perfect for readers aged 10+ who love adventure. To place order: +234 806 130 3237 | +234 803 582 0870 OR Tap the link to grab a copy:https://www.zeekapublish.com/product/the-magical-life-of-anna
