By John Azu
A war of words has erupted between aides to President Bola Tinubu and the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, over the use of the President’s first name in political criticism.
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, criticised Atiku’s repeated reference to the President as “Bola”, describing it as disrespectful and unbecoming of a former vice president.
Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, however, dismissed the criticism, arguing that the use of the President’s first name was not among the country’s pressing problems.
Atiku had, in a broadcast reviewing Tinubu’s Independence Day address on October 1, repeatedly referred to the President as “Bola” while criticising his administration’s economic policies.
“Bola, where is this prosperity?” Atiku asked.
He added: “Bola says inflation has fallen. A slower rise in prices does not restore what families have lost. He cites growth and rising exports. Nigerian businesses deserve credit for what they have achieved. But growth must improve lives. It cannot be a certificate of success that government awards itself while citizens struggle to survive.
“Bola, you call Nigeria a patient with cancer. After three years of your treatment, why is it harder for Nigerians to buy food, pay for medicine or even get to work? Why does your government have more money while the people can afford less?”
Reacting to the broadcast, Fani-Kayode described it as “intellectually flawed, highly disrespectful, inherently dishonest and utterly bereft of decency and logic”.
He took particular exception to Atiku’s use of Tinubu’s first name, describing it as a “continuous and contemptuous reference” to the President.
“Surely this level of pettiness is below even you. Yet despite this provocation, I will not refer to you as ‘Kachalla’ and accord you the respect that I still think you deserve,” Fani-Kayode wrote on X.
He also cited comments by former Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Director-General of the 2023 Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, Akin Osuntokun, who reportedly described the use of Tinubu’s first name as “a needless display of disrespect”.
Fani-Kayode subsequently launched into a broader criticism of Atiku’s political history, recalling his disagreements with Obasanjo during their time in office.
“Are you not the same Atiku that betrayed his principal, President Olusegun Obasanjo, two years after he was elected into office in 1999 and conspired with a handful of governors to overthrow him at the primaries and take over his seat in 2003?” he asked.
He also accused Atiku of publicly criticising Obasanjo between 2003 and 2007 and questioned his explanation that his opposition was primarily motivated by Obasanjo’s alleged third-term ambition.
Fani-Kayode further criticised Atiku for describing former President Goodluck Jonathan as an “inexperienced young man” who made mistakes and for his past comments about Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He argued that Atiku’s own record of referring to political opponents by their first names or questioning their competence weakened his criticism of Tinubu’s name being used without the title “President”.
Responding, Ibe said Fani-Kayode’s lengthy intervention was unnecessary in a country grappling with hardship, insecurity and rising food, transport and energy costs.
“Nigeria is a republic, not a monarchy. The President is an elected public servant, not an emperor before whom opponents must genuflect. ‘President’ is an office, not a compulsory prefix shielding its occupant from criticism,” Ibe said.
“Atiku committed no crime or constitutional violation by calling Bola Tinubu ‘Bola’. You may consider it discourteous. That is your opinion, not an offence.”
Ibe also accused Fani-Kayode of hypocrisy, referring to his previous public disagreement with a Daily Trust journalist over questions posed to him.
He further alleged that Fani-Kayode’s writings about the Igbo had attracted accusations of ethnic stereotyping and inflammatory rhetoric.
Turning to Fani-Kayode’s references to Atiku’s personal life, Ibe said: “Since you have turned political disagreement into a sermon on personal morality, your own public baggage becomes relevant.”
He also defended Atiku’s record during the Obasanjo administration, arguing that political disagreement between the former president and his vice president should not be characterised as treachery.
“Political disagreement is not treason. Atiku was Vice President, not Obasanjo’s domestic servant. Indeed, Atiku’s court victories from that era helped deepen Nigeria’s constitutional democracy,” Ibe said.
On claims surrounding the relationship between Atiku and Obasanjo during their time in office, Ibe said the accounts remained disputed.
“On the claim that Obasanjo knelt before Atiku, Atiku has denied it, while others have offered a different account. It remains disputed history. You may choose your version, but you cannot manufacture certainty,” he said.
Ibe also defended Atiku’s comments on Jonathan, describing them as a political assessment rather than an insult.
“On Goodluck Jonathan, Atiku offered a political assessment of his preparedness for office. You may disagree. Criticism is not disrespect,” he said.