Atiku Abubakar Defends Addressing Tinubu by First Name

Paul Ibe, the spokesman for Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, defended Atiku's decision to refer to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu simply as "Bola." Ibe stated that there is no Nigerian law that mandates prefixing Tinubu's name with titles such as "President" or "His Excellency." He referenced Section 36(12) of the Constitution, which requires that offences and their punishments be prescribed by written law, and challenged critics to produce such a law. This defense followed criticism from Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and presidential spokesman Sunday Dare, who deemed Atiku's reference disrespectful.

Ibe noted that using first names among political leaders is not uncommon, citing Barack Obama's references to Angela Merkel. He also pointed to Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, urging that discussions should focus on the issues Atiku raised in his Independence Anniversary address.