THIS DAWN — A fresh wave of controversy has emerged following a reported social media post attributed to nightlife entrepreneur, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest.
In the post, he condemned the recent Federal High Court judgment sentencing IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment.
In a strongly worded reaction titled “Understanding Chief Priest’s Alleged Post on Nnamdi Kanu”, public affairs commentator Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, dismissed the purported comments and cautioned that if true, Chief Priest is acting in isolation.
According to Jones, he was alerted at dawn by a caller who claimed that Chief Priest had openly criticised the ruling.
Skeptical, Jones attempted to verify the information by checking the socialite’s verified social media accounts.
To his surprise, the pages were no longer visible to him—an unusual development that led him to suspect that he had been blocked or restricted.
Jones argued that if anyone should feel directly impacted by activities associated with IPOB and its armed wing, ESN, it is Chief Priest himself.
He recalled that the businessman once lamented relocating his businesses to Lagos due to insecurity in his native Orsu LGA, Imo State.
Only days ago, Chief Priest publicly celebrated returning to his hometown after more than three years of self-imposed exile caused by violent attacks linked to separatist militants.
He has also reportedly survived a direct assault on his convoy by the same group.
Manufacturing controversy to remain relevant
Given these experiences, Jones maintained that Chief Priest should logically be among those relieved by Kanu’s conviction, not expressing solidarity.
However, he conceded that some public figures engage in calculated publicity stunts, referencing The 50th Law by Robert Greene and rapper 50 Cent.
It explores how celebrities manufacture controversy to remain relevant.
Jones suggested that Chief Priest may be attempting to court a noisy online faction that perpetuates what he describes as an inflated perception of Kanu’s popularity.
He warned, however, that the businessman may be misreading the political landscape.
According to him, a “silent majority” of Southeasterners quietly support the judgment and are tired of the violence that destabilised the region.
He predicted that these voters would make their voices heard in the 2027 elections and argued that President Tinubu could secure overwhelming Southeastern support if the conclusion of Kanu’s trial is viewed as a benchmark of his commitment to restoring peace.
Conclusively, Jones declared that as far as the Nnamdi Kanu matter is concerned, “Pascal Okechukwu is absolutely on his own”.
He added that if the socialite truly supports Kanu, he should be willing to welcome the same militants who once held Orsu hostage.
“Nnamdi Kanu’s Conviction Good for Ndigbo”
Yesterday, just after the judgement on Nnamdi Kanu, Jones wrote a piece explaining why Kanu’s conviction is good for the Igbo community worldwide.
He said that Kanu’s conviction remains, for many in the Southeast, a necessary step toward restoring peace, accountability, and communal healing.
he noted that the attempt by Barr. Aloy Ejimakor and a few others to recast a criminal prosecution as an ethnic battle is not only misleading but deeply insensitive.
he insisted that it’s insensitive to the thousands of victims—overwhelmingly Igbo—whose lives were irreversibly shattered by the violent activities linked to Kanu’s followers.
The Southeast, he said, suffered unprecedented economic decline, mass displacement, and crippling insecurity during the height of IPOB and ESN militancy.
Markets were burned, traditional rulers murdered, security personnel decapitated, and entire local governments terrorised.
Families who lived through these horrors cannot be lectured into silence by those who benefitted politically or financially from the chaos.
Jones insisted that Kanu’s conviction brings long-awaited closure to communities yearning for justice.
It also reaffirms that no individual, no matter their rhetoric, can hold the region hostage under the guise of liberation.
According to him, the Federal Government’s determination to conclude the trial demonstrates a commitment to stabilising the Southeast and protecting innocent lives.
Those pushing ethnic narratives must understand: Ndigbo reject violence, reject manipulative politics, and overwhelmingly support any lawful action that restores peace.
The road ahead is reconciliation and rebuilding—not revisionism, he added.
