By Douglas Princemola
The political temperature in Imo State intensified on Thursday, September 4, 2025, following a fiery press conference by the Greater Imo Initiative (GII), in which the group leveled damning allegations against Mazi Dr. Chima Matthew Amadi, popularly known as Gburugburu.
GII accused Amadi of money laundering, abuse of the Naira, treasonable utterances, and cultic affiliations, while also calling on the EFCC, DSS, and security agencies to arrest and prosecute him. The group further alleged that Amadi was fronting for external political actors bent on destabilizing Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration and undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership.
But in a swift rebuttal, Hon. Ezenwa Micheal Anukwuru, the President-General of Onuru-Ube-Nwanne-Agbala-Oso Support Group in Ngor-Okpala LGA, dismissed GII’s claims as “sponsored propaganda orchestrated by political jobbers.”
According to Anukwuru, the allegations were nothing but “malicious fabrications designed to discredit a man whose growing popularity has unsettled his detractors.” He described GII as “hired mischief makers who thrive on falsehood and political blackmail.”
Anukwuru maintained that Dr. Amadi, fondly called Gburugburu, represents “the brightest hope for Imo State come 2027” owing to his visionary leadership ideas, people-oriented outreach, and strong grassroots acceptance.
Gburugburu has touched lives directly, empowered youths, supported the less privileged, and given hope to the downtrodden. Rather than malign him with unfounded stories, Imo people should rally around him as a credible alternative to the recycled politicians who have impoverished the state for years, Anukwuru stated.
He urged Imo citizens to disregard the “antics of desperate detractors” and stand firm with Amadi as a unifying figure whose candidacy embodies peace, progress, and prosperity for the state.
The exchange between GII and Anukwuru underscores the rising political tension in Imo State as the build-up to the 2027 governorship race gathers momentum.
