By Francis Ajuonuma
The Action Peoples Party (APP) senatorial candidate for Imo East, Mazi Chima Matthew Amadi, has declared that the party is ready for the 2027 electoral contest, warning that it will resist intimidation and defend every lawful vote cast by the people.
Amadi spoke at a press conference held at St. Kevin’s Catholic Church in Ogbaku, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, to mark the commencement of open campaigns.
The University of Warwick research fellow said his campaign would focus on issues affecting residents across Owerri Zone, including bad roads, insecurity, unemployment, poor healthcare and the decline in public education.
“We are ready—not with empty slogans, but with ideas. Not with bags of rice at election time, but with a plan for all time,” Amadi declared.
He said his consultations across Owerri Zone had exposed the frustrations of traders, farmers, artisans and young people, whose concerns, he added, would form the basis of his campaign agenda.
“While others perfected the politics of deceit, we walked the streets of Owerri, sat with traders in Relief Market, listened to farmers in Ngor Okpala, artisans in Mbaise and our young people whose talents waste for lack of opportunity,” he said.
Amadi said the people were not asking for unrealistic promises but necessities, including motorable roads, security, functional healthcare, quality education and economic opportunities.
He challenged other candidates to a public debate on the issues confronting the senatorial district, saying the election should be decided by ideas, competence and records rather than propaganda and personal attacks.
“Let us tell the people what we have done, what we stand for and what we intend to do,” he said.
“Let us debate our roads, jobs, security, healthcare, education and the opportunities available to our young people. Let the people listen to us, interrogate our records and decide who deserves their mandate.”
The APP candidate, however, warned that his commitment to peaceful campaigning should not be interpreted as weakness.
He cautioned against intimidation of APP supporters, harassment of campaign agents or disruption of the party’s rallies, insisting that his campaign would use lawful means to protect its members and the democratic rights of voters.
“We will not run, we will not bow, and we will not be silenced,” Amadi said.
He also vowed to deploy trained party agents across polling units and collation centres to monitor the electoral process and track results from polling units through collation to the final declaration.
“The era of writing results in hotel rooms is over. Every ballot lawfully cast by the people of Imo East must count—nothing more, nothing less. We will watch, we will record, and we will follow every vote from the polling unit to the final declaration,” he said.
Amadi urged APP members and supporters to conduct their campaigns peacefully, persuading voters with facts and avoiding violence and provocation.
Addressing the electorate, he said, “Judge me by my ideas, my character and my record.”
He added, “When the day comes, let your vote thunder louder than any threat. The campaign begins today. Mazi Ggburukuru is ready. The APP is ready. Imo East is ready.”
