Pascal Okechukwu, known as Cubana Chief Priest, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not fully trust him due to past political affiliations.
The statement highlights the lingering friction between the Nigerian presidency and high-profile figures who backed opposition candidates during the last election cycle.
Okechukwu said the lack of trust is linked to his public support for Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election [1]. According to the entertainer, this political alignment created a barrier in his relationship with the current administration.
Reports on the matter vary regarding the specific motivations behind the president's wariness. While some sources attribute the tension to the 2023 election support [1], other reports suggest the president's distrust is linked to the fact that Okechukwu is an Igbo man [4].
This tension comes after Okechukwu's experience with the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary process. The relationship between the presidency and influential social figures often mirrors the broader political divisions within the country, specifically those along ethnic and regional lines.
Okechukwu said he has not provided a timeline for when this distrust became apparent, but the core of the issue remains rooted in the 2023 electoral contest [1]. The situation underscores the difficulty of political reconciliation in Nigeria when high-profile supporters of the opposition attempt to navigate the current power structure.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not fully trust him due to past political affiliations.”
The tension between Okechukwu and the Tinubu administration reflects the deep polarization of the 2023 Nigerian general election. By citing both political loyalty and ethnic identity as potential factors for distrust, the situation illustrates how electoral grievances can persist as personal and systemic barriers to integration within the current government's social and political circles.
