The Digest:
Celebrity barman Cubana Chief Priest has called on the south-east region to support President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid, arguing it is a strategic move to secure future political dividends, including the possibility of an Igbo presidency. Reacting to a video of the traditional ruler of Ezema Olo Kingdom appealing for Nnamdi Kanu's release, Cubana urged Tinubu to consider the monarch's plea. He stressed the importance of regional alignment with the political structure in Abuja, stating: "We cannot fight the government." Cubana noted Tinubu won 2023 without significant south-east backing and "will win again," so the region should "give him the votes so he can do what we ask of him in return." He added: "Hopefully, he will hand over power to an Igbo man. He made Buhari president. He made himself president. What makes you think he will not make an Igbo man president if we clearly support him?"
Key Points:
- The appeal frames 2027 support for Tinubu as transactional strategy for Igbo presidency.
- It reignites debate on political marginalisation and pathways to power for the south-east.
- Cubana positions himself as intermediary, while region weighs pragmatic vs principled choices.
- This signals the complex calculus of ethnic politics in Nigeria's electoral arithmetic.
- The timing, ahead of 2027, reflects early coalition-building efforts.
Cubana Chief Priest's pitch to the south-east frames backing Tinubu in 2027 as a strategic investment in future Igbo presidency, urging alignment over confrontation.
Sources: Cubana Chief Priest/Instagram
