Nigerian socialite and City Boy Movement director in Imo State, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has appealed to Igbos to support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in the 2027 general elections.
Okechukwu based his appeal partly on what he described as increased access to the President through his son, Seyi Tinubu, while also claiming that thousands of people in Imo State were registering for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The socialite made the remarks in Imo State while addressing supporters of the youth movement promoting Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
According to him, the relationship with Seyi Tinubu had created a channel through which people from the South-East could reach the President more easily.
“We Igbos now have access to Mr President Tinubu through his son, Seyi Tinubu. That’s why we’re doing everything to make sure he’s re-elected,” he said.
Okechukwu also portrayed the City Boy Movement as gaining substantial support in Imo, claiming that residents were joining the APC in large numbers.
“Ndi Imo don’t just love the City Boys Movement, they believe in it,” he added.
He further presented the political campaign as one that should connect with the lifestyle and aspirations of its supporters.
“Let’s do politics with lifestyle. On Asiwaju’s mandate, we shall stand. Imo is APC. Here, it’s zero competition,” Okechukwu declared.
His remarks particularly placed emphasis on Imo State where he portrayed the APC as having a commanding political presence ahead of the 2027 contest.
However, his assertions about the scale of APC registration in the state were presented as his own claims. No independent figures have been published yet to substantiate the number of new registrants he cited.
The appeal also generated a mix of responses online, with reactions ranging from support for his democratic right to campaign to scepticism about his assessment of Igbo political preferences.
One commenter, identified as @Emebo3, noted that individuals were free to campaign for candidates of their choice, provided such campaigns did not promote violence.
Other reactions questioned whether Okechukwu’s endorsement represented the views of Igbos generally or his personal political position. Some commenters also expressed confidence that voters could accept campaign incentives while making a different choice at the ballot box.
One user, @emmanuel_o87445, wrote, “Collect money wen them share. Na your right be that and vote wisely.”
Another commenter, @smart_onyedika, suggested that Tinubu could have a strong chance of securing victory in 2027, although the remark was an individual opinion rather than an electoral projection.
The reactions underline the contentious nature of political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly where politicians and campaign figures make claims about the preferences of large ethnic or regional constituencies.
Okechukwu, however, presented his message as a direct mobilisation effort for Tinubu, linking the President’s re-election campaign with what he considered a new avenue of access for people in the South-East.
His intervention comes as political actors and support groups continue to position themselves for the 2027 electoral battle, with competing camps seeking to consolidate support across Nigeria’s regions.
From Okechukwu’s viewpoint, the message is that the South-East should consider supporting Tinubu, while Imo State, in his assessment, is already firmly aligned with the APC.
His declaration that “Imo is APC” therefore serves as both a campaign slogan and a projection of the political atmosphere he said he had witnessed among supporters of the movement in the state.
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