Cubana Chief Priest, Tinubu’s cap, and the tone-deaf optics of billionaire silence [Opinion]

In a nation grappling with rising inflation, unemployment, and a steadily eroding middle class, optics matter. Symbols matter. And so, when socialite and nightlife entrepreneur Cubana Chief Priest was spotted at Obi Cubana’s 50th birthday party donning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s signature election campaign cap, Nigerians on social media wasted no time in expressing their outrage.

And rightly so.

No, celebrities and business moguls are not obligated to speak out against the government. They are not elected officials, and their wealth does not automatically convert into activism. 

But here's the problem: if you're not going to lend your voice to the cries of the masses, the least you can do is not mock their suffering.

Wearing the cap of a leader whose government is widely criticised for its role in the nation's hardship at a luxury party, no less a masterclass in tone-deafness.

The Twitter court of public opinion

One of the most vocal critics, @___Nenny, summarised the sentiment many Nigerians feel.

“Nigerians idolize money way too much. People are going through real suffering, yet I’ve never seen Obi Cubana speak out against the government. Chief Priest and E-Money openly support APC, but we still idolize them. Why? Just because they’re billionaires?”

It’s not just about silence, it’s about what that silence represents. It’s about the message being broadcast when someone who has benefited immensely from a flawed system parades around aligning with power while the powerless struggle to eat.

Some users took the pragmatic stance, like @OGosaks, who wrote:

“No billionaire with businesses all over speaks against a govt in power. All these guys empower so many people, and that's their own way of helping. Have u seen Otedola, Jim Ovia, Dangote speak against any govt?”

This isn’t false. Speaking against a sitting government can mean economic suicide for business owners, especially in a country where political power and business opportunities are often tightly intertwined. 

For many of these men, their philanthropy is a calculated replacement for political activism, and perhaps it is enough for them.

@Fearthegodso expanded on this line of thought:

“Peter a billionaire who did or the likes of Onwusibe of landmark, what did they get in return? If you were a successful businesswoman with everything to lose, would you attract unnecessary attacks to yourself for a docile citizenry that will still blame you?”

Valid questions. This is not a plea for martyrdom. It is simply a call for sensitivity.

But as @___Nenny sharply observed in another tweet:

“During the End Bad Governance protests, everyone came for celebrities who stayed silent... watching them flaunt their wealth while people are starving is just cringe-worthy.”

It’s the flaunting that cuts deep. It’s the dancing in the palace while Rome burns. It’s the deafening silence on issues of national importance coupled with visual endorsements of a system that continues to fail millions.

@RiversState001 framed the core dilemma perfectly.

“If he speaks up and the government targets his business, what will you do to help him? You will simply say he was dining with them, and now they have come for him. You should hold your politicians accountable, not business owners.”

Again, correct, but it doesn't absolve billionaires from common sense and compassion. You can be apolitical yet not appear indifferent. You can remain silent without mocking those who don’t have the luxury of your silence.

Tone-Deaf, not treasonous

No one is saying Cubana Chief Priest’s fashion choice is a betrayal of the people. He can support whomever he wishes. The cap was not the crime; the context was. 

It was a high-profile social gathering filled with luxury, food, and flamboyance, attended by elites far removed from the economic collapse felt in the streets. Wearing a political symbol in that context, especially one so divisive, was simply unwise.

As @iamossy_ put it:

“Why would you wear a hat with a political insignia to a non-political social event such as a birthday party where the attendees came from all spheres of political parties?”

That’s not just a question, it’s a diagnosis of the crisis of awareness among Nigeria’s elite.

@HonShield didn’t mince words:

“IT WAS FOOLISH AND INSENSITIVE OF YOU TO WEAR THAT CAP to a birthday party. Stop mocking suffering citizens!”

The anger isn't irrational. It’s the result of compounded frustration with a political system that fails, a social structure that protects its elite, and a populace that often feels unseen.

The verdict

No celebrity is morally obligated to be an activist. But silence, coupled with flamboyant support for power, is not neutrality; it is complicity dressed in Gucci and gold.

YOU'LL ENJOY THIS: DJ Cuppy shares her spiritual awakening and journey to self-awareness