The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has criticised Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), over his decision to address President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by his first name, accusing him of abandoning the decorum expected of a former vice-president.
Dele Alake, Spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, said in a statement on Monday that Atiku’s remarks reflected growing political animosity following his defeat in the 2023 Presidential election.
Atiku has repeatedly referred to Tinubu as “Bola”, described his administration as a “Yahoo Yahoo” government and accused it of lying, while also questioning the President’s educational background.
Alake said the opposition candidate’s conduct fell short of the standards expected of someone seeking the country’s highest office.
“We are concerned that the ADC presidential candidate has not lived up to those expectations by his unbecoming decision to address the President of Nigeria on a first-name basis as ‘Bola’,” he said.
He added that Atiku had allowed political rivalry to overshadow statesmanship.
“Since Alhaji Atiku lost the last presidential election, he has allowed political animosity and uncontrollable ambition to rob him of the statesmanship that should guide his public conduct and utterances,” Alake said.
Despite the criticism, the APC campaign council urged its members to accord Atiku the respect due to a former vice-president, insisting that its 2027 campaign would focus on Tinubu’s record, the party’s programmes and the administration’s efforts to translate economic reforms into prosperity.
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