By FRANCIS IGATA

ENUGU—United Progressives Party, UPP, has berated the Igbo Leaders of Thought, ILT, over its endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan, as the preferred candidate of Ndigbo ahead of the presidential elections.

ILT had on January 30, issued a communique, saying “we believe that the best interest of Ndigbo would be better served by our people supporting the re-election of President Jonathan.”

However, National Chairman of UPP and presidential candidate of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, condemned the action of Professor Ben Nwabueze-led ILT, claiming that Nwabueze did not have the interest of Ndigbo at heart.

He alleged that Nwabueze made the utterance without consultation with Igbo compa-triots in the presidential race.

Chekwas said: “It is unfortunate that Nwabueze, at his age, is pushing for a legacy that will portray him in bad light before Ndigbo. This has exposed the real Nwabueze.

“He was a leader of the group called Patriots, a Yoruba apologist group. He carefully timed it to suit the Jonathan’s endorsement from Afenifere. That is his leaning.

“He endorsed Jonathan because his Yoruba allies have done so. If Jonathan loses the presidential election, where would Nwabueze have left Ndigbo in the political calculus of the country?

“When I founded All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Nwabueze worked assiduously for its extinction. Today, APGA does not have a presidential candidate.”