— Orlu political group hails judiciary, berates Amadi over failed attempt to gag Gov. Uzodimma’s aide
The Imo State High Court, presided over by Hon. Justice Emeka Orafu, has issued an order restraining the police and other parties covered by the order from arresting, harassing, inviting or contacting Collins Opurozor, Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Electronic and Creative Media, in a development that has altered the dynamics of the political face-off between Opurozor and Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi, the Action Peoples Party (APP) candidate for Imo East Senatorial District. The order followed a dispute arising from police harassment and intimidation of Opurozor, which he associates with Amadi’s actions. Amadi had reportedly approached the Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja in a move Opurozor views as an attempt to gag him and stop his criticisms. The court’s intervention has now brought the dispute into a new phase, with attention turning to compliance with the order and the right of political actors to express their views without intimidation.
Reacting to the development, the Orlu Political Action Committee (OPAC), through its Secretary-General, Comrade Wisdom Nwosu, welcomed the court’s intervention and said it vindicated the concerns the group had previously raised over Amadi’s aggression against Opurozor. OPAC had earlier declared that Amadi had “touched the lion’s tail” and accused him of trying to use the police to fight a political battle. The group said the court order should remind politicians that security agencies must not become instruments for silencing critics. It maintained that anyone seeking elective office must be ready to answer questions about their public statements, political conduct and record, rather than resort to police intervention when challenged.
The dispute has unfolded against a backdrop of increasingly sharp exchanges between Amadi and Opurozor. OPAC said Amadi had repeatedly criticised the Uzodimma administration and its officials but appeared unwilling to tolerate equally forceful responses from his political opponents. The group insisted that disagreements over political claims and public conduct should be resolved through open debate and evidence, not intimidation. It also maintained that questions raised about Amadi’s public claims and political rhetoric remain matters for public interrogation, stressing that the court order must be respected by all parties it covers.
OPAC also reaffirmed its earlier declaration that Amadi was persona non grata across Orlu Zone’s 12 local government areas, restating its support for Opurozor, whom it has described as “the apple of Orlu’s eye.” Nwosu said the group would resist any attempt to intimidate Opurozor into silence and urged the police to remain professional and act strictly within the law. The committee said the court order was a reminder that political influence could not place anyone above judicial authority, adding that the right to question public figures is fundamental to democratic engagement.
In a pointed message to Amadi, OPAC said the way forward was to engage the issues before the electorate rather than picking fights with innocent citizens who are exercising their rights. The group argued that political ambition should be built on persuasion, public accountability and the ability to withstand criticism, not on attempts to enlist security agencies in political disputes. “When we said he had touched the lion’s tail, we warned that Opurozor would not be intimidated into silence. Never! The court has issued its order, and those covered by it must obey. If Amadi wants the people’s mandate, he should answer the questions being asked of him instead of trying to silence the person asking them,” the group said.
The Court Order
