Presidential candidate of the United Progressives Party (UPP) in the forthcoming general elections, Chekwas Okorie, has stated that the socio-political group Ohanaeze Ndigbo sold Igbo interest to endorse President Goodluck Jonathan for re-election.
Speaking with journalists in Enugu, Okorie decried the situation where Ohanaeze leaders were fighting over bribe obtained for the endorsement of a presidential candidate.
According to him, when an umbrella body of Ndigbo would require inducement to give an endorsement, where lies the Igbo interest?
The UPP chair noted that if the leadership of Ohanaeze had gone to negotiate with the demands of their people, they would no have been asking for inducement to endorse Jonathan’s re-election bid.
Okorie said he was surprised that, in spite of the sacrifices he has made for Ohanaeze and Igbo people in general, he offered himself for the presidency, which Igbos have been yearning for, and yet those who call themselves Igbo leaders did not support one of their own, but endorsed Jonathan.
“I feel disappointed. But I feel that Ohanaeze has betrayed Ndigbo more than I feel betrayed. You see, they have brought shame to Ndigbo. Look at an umbrella body like Ohanaeze.
“They are now exposing themselves to public ridicule. They are now accusing them of collection N5 billion for an endorsement and they are denying they didn’t collect.
“But, definitely, they are dishing out some money to chapters of Ohanaeze. Where did that money come from? At the same time, the current President-General of Ohanaeze is shamelessly telling the public that Rotimi Amaechi and Rochas Okorocha are funding the other side, that is the Ralph Obioha, Mbazulike Amechi side.
“You now have an Ohanaeze that is drawing money outside Igboland to fight each other. So, I feel disappointed as a person, but I feel sorry for Igbo people because these people have betrayed them,” he said.
