Popular Nigerian socialite and businessman Pascal Okechukwu, widely known as Cubana Chief Priest, has once again stirred public debate with his latest political message to people of the South-East.

In a series of social media posts this week, he called on the region to throw its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections, suggesting that political cooperation could be key to securing the freedom of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu.

The celebrity bartender’s statement followed a viral video showing a South-East monarch appealing directly to the President in Abuja to either release Kanu or return him to Kenya. Reacting to the clip, Cubana Chief Priest praised the monarch for taking the concerns straight to the federal capital, saying that such direct engagement was necessary for the President to truly hear the grievances of the region.

In his post, he argued that confrontation with the government would not produce the desired outcome. Instead, he maintained that strategic alignment with the current administration could open the door to negotiations and possible concessions. According to him, cooperation not opposition is the more practical path forward.

He also referenced the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, noting that Tinubu secured victory despite receiving limited support from the South-East. That reality, he suggested, should influence political calculations ahead of the next poll. He implied that offering support in 2027 could give the region stronger bargaining power in pursuing its demands.

The socialite went further, proposing that active backing of the incumbent president might improve the South-East’s long-term political prospects, including the possibility of producing a president of Igbo extraction in the future. He argued that Tinubu’s established political network and electoral strength make him a figure worth engaging rather than resisting.

He wrote, “Last election, Tinubu won without South-East, it’s clear he will win again. So why not give him the votes so he can do what we ask of him in return.

“Hopefully, he will hand over power to an Igbo man. He made Buhari president, a Hausa man. He made himself, a Yoruba man president. What makes you think he won’t make an Igbo man president if we clearly support him for one more term?

“Igbo best stake is on Asiwaju. Just think it out. Man has the best political structure in the country to win election make we no waste our votes.”

Cubana Chief Priest’s remarks have generated mixed reactions online, with supporters describing his stance as pragmatic and critics questioning the logic of tying political support to specific expectations.