2027 Imo East Senate: We’ve uncovered plot to militarise Ngor Okpala ahead of Jan. 16 N’Assembly election — Chima Amadi Campaign Organisation
The Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi Senatorial Campaign Organisation has raised the alarm over what it described as an alleged plot to militarise Ngor Okpala and intimidate opposition supporters ahead of the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election.
The organisation, which campaigns for the Action Peoples Party (APP) candidate for Imo East Senatorial District, Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi, PhD, made the allegation during a press conference on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
In a statement signed by Amadi’s Chief Press Secretary, Cajetan Duke, JP, the campaign organisation alleged that it had received recurring reports of clandestine meetings involving some senior All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders and persons identified by community sources as members of cult groups.
According to the organisation, the alleged meetings were reportedly aimed at recruiting such individuals into government-supported community vigilante structures ahead of the election.
It further alleged that the planned recruitment could be used to intimidate, harass and suppress opposition supporters, particularly members of the APP and supporters of Amadi.
The campaign organisation said it initially considered the reports as political rumours but became concerned following what it described as the frequency, secrecy and apparent coordination of the alleged meetings.
“We are particularly alarmed by reports of series of clandestine meetings allegedly involving senior APC stakeholders with persons identified by community sources as members of cult groups, with discussions reportedly centred on their recruitment into government-supported community vigilante structures,” the statement said.
The organisation also alleged that the purported infiltration of local security structures could be targeted at Amadi and his supporters before and during the January 16 election.
It warned against turning Ngor Okpala or any other part of Owerri Zone into what it described as a political battleground, insisting that residents must be allowed to freely exercise their constitutional right to choose their representatives.
“Ngor Okpala or any other part of the zone is not a conquered territory, and its people are not political prisoners. The January 16 election is a constitutional democratic exercise, not a military expedition,” the organisation stated.
It maintained that no government or political party should deploy instruments of coercion against citizens because of their political choices.
The campaign organisation challenged the APC and those it alleged were involved in the meetings to clarify the purpose of the reported recruitment, saying the people of Ngor Okpala deserved answers before the election.
It disclosed that its legal department was preparing a formal report to relevant security agencies, urging them to investigate the allegations before they degenerate into violence.
“As we address this conference, our legal department is preparing a formal report to alert all relevant security agencies on the need to immediately commence the investigation of these allegations.
“Our security agencies must not wait until weapons are brandished, citizens attacked or polling units disrupted before they act. Prevention is the essence of intelligence; investigation must begin before the alleged plot becomes a tragedy,” it said.
The organisation also cautioned against using community vigilante groups for partisan purposes, stressing that such organisations were established to protect communities and should not become instruments of political intimidation.
It called on traditional rulers, clergy, community leaders, youth leaders and other stakeholders across Ngor Okpala and Owerri Zone to resist any attempt to compromise local security structures for political purposes.
The campaign organisation equally urged Amadi’s supporters and APP members to remain peaceful and avoid provocation throughout the campaign and election period.
“Do not fight anyone. Do not be provoked. Do not give anybody the excuse they may be desperately looking for. Our campaign will continue to speak to the people, engage communities and mobilise voters peacefully.
“We intend to win this election at the polling booth with valid votes, not on the streets with guns,” it stated.
While insisting that Amadi would not be intimidated out of the contest, the organisation said it was demanding a level playing field rather than preferential treatment from security agencies.
“Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi is not afraid of anyone in this election. He is prepared to face his opponents in the full glare of the electorate. We are not asking for favours; we are asking for a level playing field,” it added.
The organisation warned that it would document, report and expose any alleged attempt to deploy cult-linked individuals, political thugs or government-backed security structures to intimidate voters.
It further threatened to make public the identities of individuals allegedly involved in any subsequent meetings connected with the purported plot and forward the information to appropriate security agencies.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Ngor Okpala or any other part of Owerri Zone must not become the laboratory for a new model of electoral intimidation. The era when political power was defended with fear must end.
“The people will decide. The ballot will decide. Democracy will decide,” the organisation declared.
It urged residents of Ngor Okpala and the wider Imo East Senatorial District to remain peaceful and vigilant, insisting that the outcome of the January 16 election should be determined solely by the electorate.
The campaign organisation concluded that Amadi “will not run away, he will not bow, and he will not be intimidated,” adding that his campaign would continue its mobilisation peacefully ahead of the election.
