Why is it that, literally within hours after Sen Rochas Anayochukwu Okorocha declared his intention to contest the presidency of Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission slammed him with a 17-count charge of N2.9 billion and it exploded to drown out the excitement of Owelle supporters.

Some political analysts have predictably suggested that the ultimate reason lies back in the inglorious past of the anti-graft agency when political sorcerers target presumed opponents of the levers of power. It is the rigid and roguish legacy of our nascent democracy, they say, that has left Nigerians incapable of taking a sensible, drama-free approach towards abuse of office and other malfeasance.

This is not an argument that takes much legal reflection to disprove. Was Nigeria any less in thrall to 'puritan morality' and or EFCC lethargic a few days ago when another prominent member of the ruling party announced his intention to contest for the same office notwithstanding the avalanche of the petitions against him bothering on fraud allegations?

No, the hysteria over Sen. Okorocha's declaration has its roots less in the infamous past than in the local politics of Imo State, and especially in some of the very causes being championed by his predecessor in the senate.

Starting from the time Sen. Okorocha was elected into the Nigerian senate, there was a spirited effort to deny him access to the National Assembly until the principal positions were contested and shared. They used the courts, INEC, and administrative agencies to set up formal barriers against his being sworn in as a senator. The result has been nothing less than the stigmatization, indeed often the media trial and criminalization.

The tactics have unwittingly attracted sympathy to Sen. Okorocha from people who had hoped that the judicial process of restitution should have commenced long before now. It is a mistake to think of this development principally in terms of a political witch hunt.

Since the return to democratic rules, the political class has grown fat feeding on our commonwealth, and in the process has effectively transformed the political arena into one great permanent floating scandal with few consequences except for the occasional drama of arraignment.

The most obvious culprits are in the lunatic fringe of
social media especially Whatsapp, Facebook, and Twitter, where enormous competitive pressures have arisen to expose the misdeeds of the powerful, no matter how picayune. But don't forget the e-rats and well-funded political attack dogs that have mushroomed as media consultants.

When these groups are accused of making Greek tragedy trivia, they all respond, piously, that some of the present and past politicians are corrupt or they turn blind eye to the actions of their benefactors. In a world of 2-weeks sound-bites, the point is difficult to refute, and the consensus has yet to be challenged.

And now, the Holy Grail of this perpetual quest to nail Sen. Okorocha has come within sight: potential evidence of criminal activity by the Rochas administration has been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja by the EFCC. It was the report of the various judicial commissions of inquiry set up by the Ihedioha administration, more than the tales of rufurufu fights with Gov. Hope Uzodiimma, or even iberiberism per se, which sent the social media into such convulsions. The speed at which the actions of EFCC developed reflects the stunning acceleration of all these political trends over the past three years, as well as the obvious effects of national politics regarding the presidency, come 2023.

Until the courts decide on the matters, Owelle is free to aspire to any political positions. Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.

I come in peace ✌️

Chidiebere Heavens Agwunobi Esq.