The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of allowing political ambition to undermine his statesmanship following his decision to address President Bola Tinubu as ‘Bola’.
The APC PCC spokesperson and Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, said in a statement on Monday that Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, had failed to demonstrate the decorum and respect expected of a former vice-president and an aspirant to the nation’s highest office.
Atiku has repeatedly addressed the President simply as ‘Bola’ rather than President Tinubu, while describing his administration as a “Yahoo Yahoo” government and accusing it of lying.
He has also insinuated that the President did not attend school.
Reacting, Alake said the council had urged its party leaders, spokespersons, members and support groups to continue accord Atiku the respect due to him as a former vice-president and presidential candidate, despite the controversy.
He added that the APC campaign would focus on issues affecting Nigerians, Tinubu’s achievements and the administration’s efforts to move the country from reforms to prosperity.
The statement partly read, “We have followed the furore and public reactions to the self-imposed indiscretion and disrespect for the office of the President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the ADC.
“While a higher standard of decorum, decency and deference to constituted authorities is expected from a former Vice President of Nigeria and an aspirant to the highest office in the country, 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’.
“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.
“Alhaji Atiku, for reasons best known to him alone, chose, rather than being a good example of decency in political behaviour, to set himself up as a model of politician the younger generation of political actors should never aspire to be like.”
The APC PCC urged its leaders and spokespersons to accord Atiku the respect due to a former vice-president, stressing that its campaign would focus on issues affecting Nigerians, the party’s programmes, Tinubu’s achievements and the administration’s efforts to translate reforms into prosperity.
It continued, “Without any regard to his personal choice to disrespect the office he is aspiring to occupy, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has implored all party leaders, spokespersons, party members and support groups to accord all the respect, courtesies and regard due to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as former Vice President of Nigeria and a presidential candidate.
“As a party grounded in progressive ideals and African traditional values of respect, our campaign council will not follow Alhaji Atiku’s path. Our campaign will focus on issues important to Nigerians. We will sell our party programmes, President Bola Tinubu’s achievements in office, and how the administration is moving Nigeria from reforms to prosperity as the President seeks a second-term mandate from Nigerians.”