“Tinubu Doesn’t Trust Me Because I’m Igbo” – Cubana Chief Priest Opens Up

Celebrity businessman and socialite Pascal Okechukwu, widely known as Cubana Chief Priest, has made a startling revelation about his relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. During a livestream session with popular streamer Peller, the nightlife mogul admitted that President Tinubu does not fully trust him – primarily because he is Igbo and because he worked for Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election. In his own words: “As I dey now, Tinubu no really trust me as Igbo man wey I be. E Dey look me with one eye because he believe say this one wey don work for Peter Obi before.” This candid confession has since sparked widespread reactions across social media, political circles, and mainstream news platforms including BBC News Pidgin, Channels Television, and The Punch.

Despite the perceived mistrust, Cubana Chief Priest made it clear that he has fully defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and will support President Tinubu in the 2027 election. His reason is political strategy over sentiment. According to him, Peter Obi was not politically ready to win the presidency in 2023, and he does not want to be associated with a losing side again. He stated, “I work for Peter Obi last election. I don’t want to lose again. Elections are won through structure, strategy, and strong political backing – not social media comments or hashtags.” He argued that Tinubu already has the support of more than 30 governors across Nigeria, making him an “immortal” force in Nigerian politics, adding: “Make Asiwaju just do his own and go. Asiwaju na immortal. No be somebody wey anybody fit push away. Tinubu go still enter 100.”

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This revelation comes just days after Cubana Chief Priest lost the APC ticket for the Orsu/Orlu/Oru East Federal Constituency seat in Imo State. The primary election, held on Saturday, ended without the socialite securing the ticket – despite purchasing the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms. However, in a swift reaction on Instagram, Cubana Chief Priest clarified that he was not defeated at the polls. Instead, he claimed he voluntarily stepped down after consulting with Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma. He explained, “The governor explained the party’s zoning arrangement to me. It was not yet the turn of my local government area to produce the federal lawmaker. In respect for the party and its leadership, I chose not to proceed.” He added emphatically: “Nobody will say they saw me anywhere around the primaries venue.”

Following the political setback, Seyi Tinubu, son of the President, reached out to Cubana Chief Priest via Instagram to offer encouragement. The President’s son wrote, “Bro, sometimes by losing a battle, you find a new way to win the war. Keep your head up. We know what you can achieve.” The socialite shared the exchange publicly, further fueling speculation about his growing closeness to the First Family.

Despite the primary loss, Cubana Chief Priest remains unshaken and highly ambitious. He confirmed that he still serves as the Imo State Coordinator of the City Boy Movement, a support group backing President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda. When asked about his future political aspirations, he hinted at something much bigger, saying, “Maybe God wants me to be the Governor.” He also dismissed online trolls mocking his primary defeat with characteristic bravado: “How will I be sad over what poor men are saying? I checked their pages, and none of them has a G-Wagon.”

In summary, the key takeaways from Cubana Chief Priest’s interview are as follows. On the issue of trust from Tinubu, he stated that the President does not fully trust him because he is Igbo and previously worked for Peter Obi. Regarding the 2023 election, he admitted he worked for Peter Obi but now regrets it. For the 2027 election, he declared full support for President Tinubu, with his reason for defection being simply “I don’t want to lose again.” On his APC primary loss, he claimed he stepped down voluntarily after Governor Uzodimma explained zoning arrangements. Finally, he revealed that his future ambition may include running for Governor.

“Tinubu Doesn’t Trust Me Because I’m Igbo” – Cubana Chief Priest Opens Up

APC Primaries Throw Up Major Upsets as Over 70 NASS Members Lose Return Tickets

LAGOS — The ongoing National Assembly primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have triggered major political upsets across the country, with no fewer than 70 serving lawmakers set to exit the National Assembly after failing to secure return tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The affected lawmakers include senators and members of the House of Representatives who either lost during the primaries, withdrew from the race, stepped down for other aspirants or were disqualified by the party hierarchy.

The APC currently controls 242 seats in the House of Representatives and 88 seats in the Senate, making the outcome one of the biggest political shake-ups within the ruling party in recent years.

Among the lawmakers who will not return is Rep. Donatus Matthew, popularly known as the “Okada Rider,” who was elected under the Labour Party platform to represent Kaura Federal Constituency in Kaduna State before defecting to the APC. He was later disqualified during the APC screening exercise.

Several former Labour Party lawmakers who defected to the APC also failed to secure the party’s tickets during the primaries. They include Esosa Iyawe, who lost the Oredo Federal Constituency ticket in Edo State to Dr. Paddy Iyamu; Senator Neda Imasuen of Edo South; Tochukwu Okere of Imo; Bassey Akiba of Cross River; and Daulyop Fom of Plateau State.

Senators Who Lost Tickets

Among APC senators who will not return to the National Assembly are former Ogun State governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East); Diket Plang (Plateau Central); Osita Izunaso (Imo West); Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East); Titus Zam (Benue West); Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central); Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central); and Ned Nwoko (Delta North).

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Sources within the APC disclosed that at least 58 House of Representatives members and 12 senators have already lost the opportunity to return, pending final ratification by the party leadership.

Political analysts say many of the losses were influenced by internal party power struggles, zoning arrangements, alliances with governors, delegate politics and growing anti-incumbency sentiments among party members.

Violence, Protests Trail Primaries

The primaries have also been marred by violence, protests and allegations of manipulation in several states.

In Ondo State, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN, representing Ondo Central, narrowly escaped death after armed thugs reportedly attacked his polling unit in Akure during the senatorial primary.

Eyewitnesses said gunmen invaded the venue at Okilisa Ward 5 and opened fire after it became clear that Adegbonmire was leading the vote count.

The attack caused panic among delegates, party officials, journalists and residents, while some women reportedly sustained injuries in the stampede that followed.

Speaking after the incident, Adegbonmire described the primary as a “complete charade,” alleging that violence and intimidation were deliberately orchestrated against his supporters.

“My supporters were about 400 and there were three lines. They started counting my line first because it was the longest. But while they were counting the other line and it became glaring that we were leading, thugs invaded the place and started shooting,” he alleged.

Another aspirant, Olumuyiwa Adu, also rejected the exercise, accusing armed thugs of hijacking the process and imposing candidates on party members.

Delta Primaries Under Scrutiny

In Delta State, uncertainty surrounded the Senate primary results after the APC National Secretariat faulted state-level declaration of winners.

APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, criticised primary committees for announcing winners directly from state collation centres instead of waiting for ratification by the National Working Committee, NWC, in Abuja.

According to him, the party leadership reserved the right to review complaints and petitions before making final pronouncements on winners and losers.

The development has cast doubts over the reported victories of former Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta North), Senator Ede Dafinone (Delta Central), and Senator Joel Onowakpo-Thomas (Delta South).

Meanwhile, the APC National Assembly Primaries Appeal Committee in Delta confirmed receiving at least five petitions from aggrieved aspirants challenging the conduct of the exercise.

No Primary Held in Cross River — Aspirants

In Cross River State, Senator Eteng Jones Williams and fellow aspirant Mary Ekpere rejected results circulating online for the Cross River Central Senatorial District, insisting that no primary election took place in any of the 66 wards.

Williams said his team monitored all wards and confirmed that voting never occurred.

Ekpere also alleged exclusion from the process, claiming she neither saw electoral materials nor voted during the exercise.

AbdulRazaq Clinches Kwara Ticket

In Kwara State, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq emerged unopposed in the APC primary for the Kwara Central Senatorial District.

Senator Saliu Mustapha had earlier stepped down and publicly endorsed the governor for the seat.

Benue Senators Suffer Heavy Defeat

In Benue State, two serving senators — Titus Zam (Benue North-West) and Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East) — lost their return tickets in dramatic fashion.

Retired Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Benjamin Aber, defeated Zam with over 93,000 votes, while former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, staged a political comeback by defeating Udende with more than 131,000 votes.

Both defeated senators rejected the outcome, alleging manipulation and predetermined results.

Kogi, Zamfara, Kaduna Primaries Spark Crisis

At the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, stakeholders from Kogi Central protested against the participation of former Governor Yahaya Bello in the senatorial primary, alleging irregularities and questioning his clearance status.

In Zamfara, senatorial aspirant Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi warned that the APC risked another legal disaster similar to the 2019 Supreme Court ruling that nullified the party’s primaries in the state.

Former Kaduna Assembly Speaker Yusuf Zailani also rejected the Kaduna Central senatorial primary, insisting that no proper election was conducted across the zone.

Ekiti Aspirant Rejects Result

In Ekiti State, former senator Ayo Arise rejected the outcome of the Ekiti North Senatorial District primary won by incumbent Senator Cyril Fasuyi.

Arise alleged vote manipulation and claimed results from ward-level collation showed he actually won the election.

APC Primaries Throw Up Major Upsets as Over 70 NASS Members Lose Return Tickets

Desmond Elliot Explains Support for Obasa’s Removal

Lawmaker and actor Desmond Elliot has reacted to fresh revelations surrounding the January 2025 leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly, explaining why he initially supported the removal of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

The controversy resurfaced after Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, reportedly disclosed details of behind-the-scenes interventions that eventually led to the reversal of Obasa’s removal.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Elliot said he was outside the country in South Africa attending a wedding when the political drama unfolded.

According to him, he returned to Nigeria confused about the situation and signed documents supporting the leadership change because he believed the move had the backing of the presidency.

Elliot explained that he assumed the decision reflected the position of influential party leaders and therefore acted based on trust and political loyalty.

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“I came back and met a situation on ground. I honestly thought it had approval from above,” he reportedly stated during the interview.

The Surulere lawmaker also reacted to comments credited to Gbajabiamila, who allegedly said he defended Elliot before President Tinubu during the crisis.

Responding to the disclosure, Elliot expressed surprise that the conversation had become public, saying he remained loyal to his political leaders and preferred not to openly challenge internal party structures.

“I was shocked to hear that publicly, but he is my leader,” Elliot said while commenting on Gbajabiamila’s remarks.

The January 2025 crisis briefly shook the Lagos Assembly after a group of lawmakers moved against Obasa over allegations of misconduct and leadership concerns. However, the rebellion was later reversed following reported intervention by President Tinubu and senior figures within the All Progressives Congress.

The episode exposed deep factional divisions within Lagos APC politics, with competing blocs reportedly struggling for influence ahead of future political realignments in the state.

Political analysts say the incident highlighted the continued influence of Tinubu over Lagos politics, especially in resolving internal disputes within the ruling party.

The renewed public discussion surrounding Elliot’s role has also triggered reactions online, with critics questioning why lawmakers would support major political decisions without independently verifying the source or legitimacy of directives.

Supporters of the actor-turned-politician, however, argued that party discipline and hierarchy often shape decision-making within Nigerian political structures.

The development has once again drawn attention to internal power dynamics within the Lagos APC and the broader influence of political godfathers in Nigeria’s political system.

Desmond Elliot Explains Support for Obasa’s Removal