By joe Kalu
The Campaign Organisation of the Action Peoples Party (APP) senatorial candidate for Imo East Senatorial District, Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to militarise Ngor Okpala Local Government Area ahead of the January 16, 2027 National Assembly elections.
The campaign organisation, in a statement issued on Tuesday by the candidate’s Chief Press Secretary, Cajetan Duke, JP, alleged that some individuals within the All Progressives Congress (APC) were holding clandestine meetings with persons suspected by community sources to be members of cult groups.
It further alleged that the meetings were centred on the recruitment of such individuals into government-supported community vigilante structures, ostensibly ahead of the senatorial election.
The campaign organisation said it was particularly concerned that the alleged recruitment could be aimed at intimidating, harassing or suppressing opposition supporters, particularly members and supporters of the APP and Amadi.
According to the statement, “Ngor Okpala or any other part of the zone is not a conquered territory, and its people are not political prisoners.”
It added that the January 16 election was “a constitutional democratic exercise, not a military expedition,” insisting that no political party or government had the right to use coercive means against citizens because of their political choices.
The campaign organisation said the alleged development, if established, would amount to an attempt to create fear where political persuasion had failed.
“When a political party starts looking beyond the ballot box and allegedly begins searching for armed men and cult-linked elements, it raises a fundamental question: what exactly are they afraid of at the ballot box?” it asked.
The group challenged the APC and other persons allegedly involved in the meetings to explain the purpose of the reported recruitment, saying the people of Ngor Okpala deserved clarification before election day.
The campaign organisation also disclosed that its legal department was preparing a formal report to relevant security agencies, urging them to investigate the allegations before they degenerated into violence.
“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,” the statement said.
It warned against what it described as attempts to hide partisan political operations under the legitimate cover of community security arrangements.
According to the organisation, vigilante groups should be established to protect communities and should not be transformed into “private armies for politicians” or instruments of electoral intimidation.
The campaign further appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, youth leaders and other stakeholders in Ngor Okpala and the wider Owerri Zone to reject any attempt to compromise the local security architecture for political purposes.
It said the people of the zone deserved access to infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic opportunities rather than an election characterised by fear and intimidation.
The organisation also urged supporters of Amadi and the APP to remain peaceful and disciplined throughout the electoral process.
“Do not fight anyone. Do not be provoked. Do not give anybody the excuse they may be desperately looking for,” it advised.
The campaign organisation said it was committed to winning the election through peaceful mobilisation and votes at the polling units rather than through violence.
“We intend to win this election at the polling booth with valid votes, not on the streets with guns,” it said.
It further warned that any attempt to deploy government-backed security structures, cult-linked individuals, political thugs or other coercive machinery to intimidate voters would be resisted through lawful and constitutional means.
The organisation said it would document and report any alleged attempt to undermine the electoral process to the appropriate authorities.
It also called on the APC leadership and other political actors to ensure that Ngor Okpala did not become a testing ground for electoral intimidation.
The campaign organisation maintained that Amadi was prepared to face his opponents at the polls and was only demanding a level playing field.
“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,” the statement said.
The organisation concluded by declaring that the people, rather than political intimidation, should determine the outcome of the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election.
“The people will decide. The ballot will decide. Democracy will decide,” it stated.
