Popular socialite and businessman Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has called on the people of the South-East to support with President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections in order to secure the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

Reacting on Wednesday to a viral video where a South-East monarch urged the President to either release Kanu or return him to Kenya, the celebrity barman praised the monarch for taking the message directly to the seat of power.

He noted the monarch’s physical presence in Abuja was necessary to ensure the President heard the plight of the South-East.

Writing in Pidgin, Cubana Chief Priest wrote, “God bless you, Your Royal Highness for partaking in Nigeria. If Your Highness did not participate in Abuja, how Asiwaju wan take hear this message. If to say dem no record this video play for una, them for call his royal highness sell out say him don go collect money.”

He urged the region to “align” with the current administration rather than maintain a stance of opposition, saying, “Alignment is key, we no fit fight government, Asiwaju go free MNK. His Royal Highness don put am for Baba body. Let’s get along with Nigeria.”

The socialite further urged the South-East to reconsider its political stance ahead of the next elections, stating that Tinubu won the 2023 election without significant votes from the region.

Addressing the 2023 elections, he reminded his followers that President Tinubu emerged victorious without the majority of the South-East vote, suggesting that a repeat is likely in the future unless the region changes its approach.

He also suggested that active support for the current administration could be the “best stake” for the Igbo people to eventually produce a president.

He wrote, “Last election, Tinubu won without South-East, it’s clear he will win again. So why not give him the votes so he can do what we ask of him in return.

“Hopefully, he will hand over power to an Igbo man. He made Buhari president, a Hausa man. He made himself, a Yoruba man president. What makes you think he won’t make an Igbo man president if we clearly support him for one more term?

“Igbo best stake is on Asiwaju. Just think it out. Man has the best political structure in the country to win election make we no waste our votes.”

PUNCH Online reported on Tuesday that a traditional ruler from the South-East, Dr Lawrence Agubuzu, the Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, urged Tinubu to release Kanu, or return him to Kenya, where he was arrested, warning that his continued detention was fuelling agitation among youths in the region.

At least two persons were reportedly killed on Wednesday during the ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, as violence erupted in Idanre, Idanre Local Government Area.

Several others were said to have sustained injuries during the crisis, which also led to the burning of a vehicle.

The incident came barely 24 hours after suspected political thugs disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting at the party’s secretariat in Akure. The meeting was presided over by the state chairman of the party, Ade Adetimehin.

Sources in Idanre said the congress could not hold in some wards as hoodlums allegedly attacked party members.

The cause of the violence was yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

One of the victims was identified as Raphael Adetimehin, said to be a brother of the state APC chairman. He was reportedly attacked at his ward in Idanre.

Confirming the development, Ade Adetimehin said his brother was shot and macheted by suspected thugs who allegedly mistook him for the chairman.

“My brother was attacked; those who attacked him thought I was the one because we resemble each other very well. After shooting and macheting him, they left him when they thought he was dead. I don’t know why we are playing our politics to this extent,” he stated.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said he would get back to our correspondent when reached on the telephone.

The crisis highlights escalating tension within the Ondo State chapter of the APC ahead of the party’s internal restructuring process.

On Tuesday, suspected thugs stormed the party secretariat in Akure and disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting, injuring several members and forcing an abrupt end to proceedings.

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A pre-congress stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State turned violent on Tuesday as suspected thugs invaded the party secretariat in Akure, leaving many injured and the state chairman and a commissioner beaten.

The incident occurred less than 24 hours before the nationwide ward congress scheduled to be held across 203 wards in the state.

An eyewitness, Yetunde Adeyanju, said the attackers, armed with dangerous weapons, shouted that they were from Aiyedatiwa and claimed, “We don’t want congress in Ondo State. The governor is in charge. The governor is the leader of the state, and the governor is in charge.

“Nobody can query the authority of the governor, and anybody who wants to talk about congress in Ondo State will be assassinated. If you talk about congress in Ondo State, you will be assassinated.”

Another eyewitness confirmed that several party leaders, including the state chairman, Mr Ade Adetimehin, a commissioner on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr Otito Atikase, and former Commissioner for Sports, Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, were beaten. Those injured were rushed to hospitals for treatment.

Adetimehin corroborated the attack, alleging that the thugs were sponsored to disrupt the meeting.

“Thirty minutes later, the place was invaded by thugs, with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons. They beat all leaders and members, except those who are for them.

“They beat me and dragged me on the floor; they took away my two phones, money, and wristwatch,” he said.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, however, denied any involvement of the governor, describing the allegation as “unfounded, false and misleading.”

In a statement, he said, “The governor was neither aware of nor connected to the said meeting and could not have sanctioned any act of thuggery. His leadership reflects a strong aversion to violence and political intimidation in any form.”

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Abayomi Jimoh, said the situation had been brought under control.

“The police command received a distress call, and we immediately swung into action, deploying operatives to the APC state secretariat.

“Efforts of these operatives restored calmness to the area,” he said, adding that tactical teams had been deployed and investigations were ongoing.