President Bola Tinubu
The media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has defended his principal’s decision to refer to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu simply as “Bola,” arguing that no Nigerian law makes it an offence to address the President by his first name.
Ibe made the clarification in a statement while reacting to criticisms that followed Atiku’s Independence Anniversary address, where the former presidential candidate referred to the President by his first name.
According to him, public outrage over the choice of words does not amount to a violation of the law.
He stated, “Some people are outraged that Atiku Abubakar referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as simply ‘Bola.’ But outrage is not law.”
The Atiku spokesman stressed that Bola is the President’s legal first name and that no law in Nigeria compels citizens to address the President only as “President,” “His Excellency” or “Mr President.”
Quoting Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, he said, “Section 36(12) of the Constitution says nobody can be convicted of an offence unless that offence and its punishment are prescribed in written law.”
He challenged those accusing Atiku of wrongdoing to identify the law allegedly violated.
“So, anyone claiming Atiku committed an offence should produce the law that says Nigerians must always prefix Bola Tinubu’s name with ‘President,’ ‘His Excellency’ or ‘Mr President.’ There is no such law,” Ibe said.
He also argued that political leaders across the world have addressed one another by their first names without controversy.
According to him, “The use of first names among political leaders is not unusual. As U.S. President, Barack Obama publicly referred to German Chancellor Angela Merkel simply as ‘Angela’ at official events, including a White House joint press conference and a State Dinner.”
Ibe further maintained that the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression.
He said, “Nigeria’s Constitution also guarantees freedom of expression under Section 39.”
While acknowledging that some Nigerians may prefer a more formal mode of address, he insisted that such preferences remain matters of personal opinion.
“People may debate Atiku’s style. They may say they would have preferred ‘President Tinubu.’ That is their opinion. But let us not invent an offence where none exists.”
He added, “Bola is his name. President is his office.”
The spokesman concluded by urging Nigerians to focus on the issues raised in Atiku’s Independence Anniversary address rather than the manner in which the President was addressed.
“The more important question is whether critics can answer the substantive issues Atiku raised in his state of the nation Independence Anniversary address,” he said.
The comments followed public reactions to Atiku Abubakar’s Independence Anniversary message, in which the former Vice President criticised the Tinubu administration’s handling of national issues. While some supporters of the President faulted Atiku for referring to Tinubu by his first name, Ibe argued that the debate should centre on the constitutional issues and policy concerns raised in the address rather than the form of address used.
