By Peter.
Nigerian socialite and nightlife mogul Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has unleashed a blistering open letter to President Bola Tinubu on Instagram, tying the recent life sentence of Nnamdi Kanu—leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—directly to the APC’s electoral doom in the Southeast come 2027. Posting late Thursday, November 20, 2025, amid nationwide uproar over the Federal High Court’s ruling in Abuja, Chief Priest didn’t mince words: “As long as MNK remains in jail, you cannot & will never get up to 10,000 votes in SouthEast come 2027.”
In a raw, unfiltered rant that has racked up thousands of views and shares on X, the Imo-born influencer—once a vocal Tinubu supporter who scored his “first presidential handshake” at Aso Rock—positioned himself as a straight-talking “friend of your government” unwilling to sugarcoat the fallout. He lambasted Southeast ministers as “useless” and “cowards,” governors as inevitable betrayers, and even shaded a recent Delborough Hotel powwow with Tinubu’s son Seyi, calling attendees (himself included) “bags of deceit” chasing land deals over real influence.
The Full Statement: A Wake-Up Call or Political Theater?
Chief Priest’s epic thread, blending Igbo pride with electoral calculus, paints Kanu as the undisputed “Supreme Leader of SouthEast,” whose detention has “caused us so much setback.” He urged an immediate appeal, warning: “Without MNK Outside Everything Shall Fall Into Pieces… Southeast Belongs To MNK. This Is The Words Of The Gods, Play With It At Your Own Risk.” Here’s the unedited essence, broken down:
- To Tinubu: “I Have No Reason To Whitewash You… Appeal This Judgement & Get It Right Or Get Ready To Check Out Of The Villa Come 2027.”
- On Southeast Allies: “All Your Useless Ministers From SouthEast Can’t Even Tell You The Truth Because They Are All Cowards… As For Governors They Will All Disappoint You.”
- Seyi Tinubu Shoutout: “@seyitinubu All Those People On That Table With You… Are Just Bags Of Deceit… They Can’t Even Go To Their Home Towns Because Of MNK Detention.”
- Props & Shade for Governors: Praised Abia’s Alex Otti as a “genuine convincer” but slammed Tinubu for skipping his project commissioning (sending an “incompetent” minister instead). To Imo’s Hope Uzodimma: “You Have Done Well But You Will Be A Complete Loser If You Dont Get MNK Out… Your Legacies Will Be Swept Under The Carpet.”
The post, timestamped amid the verdict’s dust settling, has exploded online—trending under #ReleaseMNK and #Tinubu2027—with over 6,000 likes on Gossip Mill Nigeria’s share alone. Chief Priest, whose Empire Cafes empire has made him a Southeast tastemaker, flipped from regime cheerleader to candid critic, citing his Villa access as reason enough to speak truth to power.
Backlash & Buzz: Portable Claps Back, Deputy Speaker’s “Deleted” Note Sparks Alarm
The missive hasn’t gone unchallenged. Singer Portable (Habeeb Okikiola) fired off on Instagram, accusing Chief Priest of hypocrisy: “When you visited President Tinubu [with Davido], did you tell him to release Nnamdi Kanu? You only went there to hustle for contracts… My people will be given money to vote for President Tinubu.” Videos of Portable’s rant have hit X, amassing views as he dismissed the vote threat as “not true.”
Adding intrigue, Chief Priest later “shivered” publicly over a now-deleted note from Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu (a Southeast APC stalwart), hinting at pressure to zip it. X users like @OneJoblessBoy (37 likes) amplified the drama: “Cubana Chiefpriest just dropped the hottest political advisory… Tinubu, listen up!” Critics, though, called it “gullible politics,” questioning why it took sentencing to “speak up.”
Context: Kanu’s Sentence Fuels Biafra Fire
This lands hot on the heels of Thursday’s Abuja ruling, where Justice James Omotosho hit Kanu with life for terrorism counts (sparing death, citing “international concerns”). IPOB slammed it as “judicial terrorism,” with appeals vowed. Chief Priest’s intervention echoes actor Prince Eke‘s earlier “stunt” theory—release as 2027 bait—but amps the stakes, framing it as existential for Tinubu’s re-election in a region where APC scraped <25% in 2023.
As #FreeNnamdiKanu surges, Chief Priest’s gambit—part loyalty, part ultimatum—could rally the base or burn bridges. One thing’s clear: In Nigeria’s polarized arena, even club owners wield electoral clout.
#CubanaChiefPriest #NnamdiKanu #Tinubu2027 #SoutheastVotes #ReleaseMNK #IPOB
