By Hamilton Akpunku, Abakaliki
In what many observers have described as a shocking display of desperation and political recklessness, the campaign team of Chima Matthew Amadi has stirred widespread outrage following its use of the photograph of a popular Catholic priest from Ebonyi State, Rev. Fr. Paul, in a misleading propaganda effort aimed at attacking respected political leader and public intellectual, Collins Opurozor.
The controversial act, which has drawn sharp condemnation from both the clergy and civil society groups, was part of a coordinated media offensive directed by Chima Amadi’s handlers.
Sources close to the matter revealed that the embattled governorship aspirant, frustrated by Opurozor’s consistent dismantling of his political pretensions, ordered his media team to “go for the kill.”
In executing that directive, the team shockingly lifted an image of the innocent priest, falsely insinuating that it was connected to Opurozor.
“This is not only defamatory, it is sacrilegious,” said a source within the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, where Rev. Fr. Paul serves. “You do not drag a priest, who has no political involvement, into a muddy political street fight simply because you want to settle scores. This is an affront to the Church, and we are watching closely.”
Already, the incident has caused ripples of indignation across social media and within political circles in Imo State, where Collins Opurozor continues to play a prominent role in shaping political discourse ahead of the 2027 elections.
Many have expressed disbelief at the apparent lack of due diligence or moral restraint in the actions of the Amadi campaign.
“This was not a mistake. It was a decision. And it is politically fatal,” said political analyst Ifeanyi Udeagha. “You cannot claim to offer leadership to a people and then turn around to attack their faith, their clergy, and the values they hold dear, all in one swipe. Chima Amadi has crossed a red line.”
For Collins Opurozor, who has not responded to the attack, supporters have taken up the defense, calling the smear campaign both “pathetic and telling.” One of his associates noted: “This shows clearly that Opurozor has become the nightmare of Chima Amadi’s team. They cannot match his intellect, so they resort to forgery and spiritual blackmail.”
There are also emerging calls from multiple fronts for the Catholic Church and relevant legal authorities to take action against the misuse of the priest’s image.
Legal experts warn that the unauthorized use of a cleric’s likeness in a defamatory political context could open the Amadi campaign to civil litigation and possibly ecclesiastical sanctions.
As the dust settles on this latest scandal, political observers believe that the fallout could be long-lasting. “This is not just about a photograph,” Udeagha added. “It is about a campaign that has lost direction and is now crashing into sacred institutions in its freefall. Chima Amadi may never recover from this blunder.”
Efforts to reach the Amadi campaign team for comments were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
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