OWERRI, Imo State – Popular celebrity businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, widely known as Cubana Chief Priest, has lost his bid to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Orsu/Orlu/Oru East Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 House of Representatives election.
Okay News reports that the outcome of the high-profile primary election was decided on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The night club mogul, who currently serves as the Imo State Coordinator of the City Boys Movement, had officially declared his entry into the political arena in February, advocating for youth inclusion and a new culture of clean, issue-based political engagement.
Following the declaration of the primary results, social media platforms were flooded with mixed reactions. While several users mocked his defeat, suggesting the socialite had severely underestimated the entrenched structures, complexities, and fierce competitiveness of grassroots Nigerian politics, others rose to his defense, praising his courage to participate.
Reacting swiftly to the online trolling, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Delta State Governor, Ossai Ovie Success, chided those ridiculing the businessman on social media. “Why are people mocking Cubana Chief Priest? Not nice… it’s ok to try and try again. He lost an election and so what? I am disappointed,” Success posted on his verified Facebook page on Saturday evening, urging Nigerians to respect political newcomers who dare to contest.
With this defeat, Cubana Chief Priest joins a growing list of high-profile outsiders and youth aspirants facing structural roadblocks in the ongoing APC nationwide legislative primaries. State party officials are expected to release the final certified tally and declare the official consensus or majority winner for the federal constituency in the coming hours.
