Akin Osuntokun, former presidential spokesman and director-general of Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his repeated reference to President Bola Tinubu as “Bola” in his October 1 address.
Osuntokun said Atiku had the right to criticise Tinubu and his administration but argued that repeatedly addressing the president by his first name was disrespectful to the office.
He added that his long-standing cordial relationship with Atiku had made him hesitant to openly criticise the former vice-president since the end of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 2007.
“Abubakar is entitled to criticise the President, however sharply. What I found objectionable was his repeated decision to call him ‘Bola’,” Osuntokun said in a statement on Thursday.
“That was not a more forceful argument; it was a needless display of disrespect. This is not acceptable. It is primarily an insult to Nigeria, on whose account he occupies that office.”
Osuntokun said Tinubu is the elected president of Nigeria and occupies the same office Atiku is seeking.
He said Nigerians who oppose Tinubu retain the legitimate constitutional and democratic means of seeking his removal.
“Those who believe he is unfit for it have legitimate ways to pursue his removal: impeachment or defeat at the ballot box. Until then, Tinubu is entitled to the privileges of his office,” he said.
Osuntokun said his position is not a call for deference to Tinubu’s policies or personality but for decorum in public discourse and respect for the institution of the presidency.
He added that anyone seeking the mandate of Nigerians to occupy the presidency should demonstrate respect for the office, including when an opponent occupies it.
“Imagine a former Vice President referring throughout a national address to a sitting President as ‘Segun’ or ‘Mohammadu’. The rudeness would be unmistakable,” he said.
Osuntokun also noted that Atiku’s choice of words raises questions about the judgment and temperament he would bring to the presidency if elected.
Atiku, who served as vice-president from 1999 to 2007, is one of the frontrunners in the race for the presidency ahead of the 2027 general election.
