It is easy to see the depredations of Chidoka and the venality of too many politicians as justification for a widespread cynicism that politicians are only in it for what they can get out of it. The cynicism can be as corrosive as corruption, devalue democracy just as much, and can be just as dangerous in extreme cases by leading some people to believe that there are attractive alternatives to the endless debating of democracy.

Politicians are generally in politics for much the same reasons as most people are in other occupations. It is a highly public world, partly played out in the parliamentary arena where they are pitched against opponents who are always on the alert for and trying to encourage, a faux pas, and in the bright light of the media which is equally eager to fall on any infelicitous word, gesture or decision.

It is a high octane world in which the highs can be very high, the lows very low, and the movement from high to low very swift. It is tough and unforgiving but also addictive and great fun for those who have the stomach for it. It is like living on the edge all the time; dull moments can be few and far between when virtually anything can turn into a crisis.

Much of party politics can be depicted as a blood sport, fun and games in which you aim to delight your supporters while discombobulating your opponents. Government politics can offer a higher variant of the satisfaction that comes from completing any project. 

Politics will continue to decide our future as much as it did our past. Before the political temperature rises in the run-up to the general election, it is no harm to remind ourselves of that fact and to treat seriously and without undue cynicism the men and women who put themselves forward to take on that task. If they betray that trust, as few others have done, they then deserve all the opprobrium that comes their way but Hon. Uche Okonkwo would not betray us as we have seen from his antecedents.

The right candidate must be chosen, fortified, embellished, endorsed and supported ab initio. While there can be no doubt that one or two of the present aspirants have worked for the common good of Idemmili people in general or particular in time past and are therefore eligible for consideration for the race come to the election, there is a near astronomic or celestial need to choose the very best and most prospect-full among the aspirants that are presently expressing interest in the Idenmili North and South Federal Constituency race and I believe the reason is obvious.

Hon. Uche Okonkwo is a prolific son of Ojoto land and by extension Idemili who practices politics without bitterness. He is most unassuming but highly reassuring, industrious, highly articulate, highly personable, increasingly humble and a team player.

© Christopher Okonkwo