Okorocha’s Arrest By EFCC To Truncate His Presidential Ambition – Aide

Tuesday’s invasion of Abuja residence of Senator Rochas Okorocha and his subsequent arrest were to frustrate his presidential ambition in 2023, his aide said.

Sam Onwuemeodo, special adviser (media) to the embattled lmo West senator, said in a statement that the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that invaded Okorocha’s residence did not present ‘either warrant of arrest or court order’.

Recall that the operatives, Tuesday, stormed the private residence of Okorocha in Abuja and arrested him.

According to his aide, “Okorocha is a presidential aspirant on the platform of APC. And the party’s screening for the presidential aspirants was originally fixed for Tuesday, May 24.

“It should also be recalled that on the day Okorocha declared to run for the office of president was also the day the EFCC stormed the venue of the event to arrest him, and claimed that they had come to arrest Okorocha and arraign him even when he had not been served. The general outcry by the public saved the situation.

“Again, EFCC invading Okorocha’s residence to arrest him less than 48 hours he hosted the meeting of APC presidential aspirants from the South East only raised the antenna of our concern about the motive behind all these.

“The essence of all these is to prevent him from participating in the party’s primaries.”

He regretted the timing of the arrest, stating that, “Okorocha has been going to his office in the Senate to attend to people, including supporters. There was never any attempt to arrest him. He has never been in hiding.

“All these have only fuelled our suspicion or concern that there could be more than the eyes could see. EFCC has been in court with Okorocha over N2 billion fraud allegations. Until Okorocha is found guilty, he remains innocent.

“lf Okorocha is forcefully stopped from pursuing his presidential ambition over a matter he is deemed innocent until proved otherwise, that won’t be a nice story for history and posterity.

“Okorocha has not done anything to warrant such onslaught. Okorocha has sacrificed a lot for this nation and if he is denied the opportunity to pursue his presidential ambition, that would be most uncharitable and unfortunate.

“Okorocha has been cooperating with the commission right from the outset. The drama would have been short or avoided if the commission had come up with either warrant of arrest or court order.”

The aide appealed to the EFCC ‘not to abort Okorocha’s presidential ambition’ and ‘allow APC delegates or Nigerians to do that’.