Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has called on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, to apologise to President Bola Tinubu for repeatedly referring to him by his first name during a recent press conference.
Omokri argued that Atiku’s manner of addressing the President showed insufficient regard for the office he occupies and could send the wrong message to younger Nigerians about respect for public institutions.
In an open letter shared on his social media accounts on Friday, the former presidential aide and ambassador-designate urged Atiku to maintain decorum when criticising the President, stressing that political disagreements should not undermine the dignity of the presidency.
He maintained that Atiku could challenge Tinubu’s policies and question the direction of his administration without disregarding the status of the office of the President.
“By all means, sir, do criticise the President. That is what democracy is all about. But in doing so, you ought to still give regard to the office he holds,” Omokri wrote.
According to Omokri, showing disrespect to the presidency also reflects poorly on Nigeria, particularly because Atiku has repeatedly sought the opportunity to lead the country.
He questioned why Atiku chose to address Tinubu as Bola when he had previously maintained a more formal approach in his dealings with former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo, even when political tensions existed between them.
Omokri noted that Atiku did not refer to Buhari solely by his first name during the 2019 presidential election, when the two politicians contested against each other.
He suggested that the difference in how Atiku addressed the two leaders might lead some observers to conclude that the former Vice-President showed Buhari greater respect because they shared a northern background and ethnicity. However, Omokri said he did not believe Atiku intended to convey such a message.
The former presidential aide also cited Atiku’s history of disagreements with Obasanjo during his tenure as Vice-President, pointing out that the former Vice-President continued to address Obasanjo by his official title despite the difficulties in their relationship.
Omokri contrasted those experiences with Tinubu’s relationship with Atiku, claiming that the incumbent President had offered political support to the former Vice-President when he encountered difficulties.
To reinforce his argument, Omokri referred to an encounter involving former United States President Barack Obama and television host Trevor Noah in November 2022.
He said Obama had explained that people should address him as Mr President rather than by his first name, using the incident to argue that the office of a sitting president deserves recognition irrespective of personal or political differences.
Omokri further recalled an incident from November 2022 in which Atiku reportedly accused a prominent politician of being rude and disrespectful towards him and demanded an apology.
He argued that the incident showed that Atiku expected others to treat him with respect and should therefore extend the same consideration to Tinubu.
The former presidential aide called on Atiku to recognise what he described as a breach of established decorum and apologise to the President, adding that doing so would help promote a higher standard of conduct in Nigeria’s democratic politics.
The disagreement over Atiku’s decision to address Tinubu by his first name has also attracted criticism from other members of the President’s camp.
In September, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, condemned Atiku’s repeated use of the name Bola, describing it as “the height of insolence”.
Dare made the comment in response to Atiku’s proposal that the Federal Government take steps to bring down petrol prices. He accused the former Vice-President of political arrogance and questioned his authority to criticise the administration’s approach to fiscal management.
Defending the President’s economic agenda, Dare maintained that Tinubu was pursuing fundamental reforms intended to restructure the Nigerian economy.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo also faulted Atiku for addressing Tinubu by his first name, describing the practice as disrespectful and discourteous to the office of the President.
However, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, defended his principal’s decision, arguing that referring to the President as Bola did not contravene any existing law.
In a post on his verified X account, Ibe said Nigerians were not under any legal obligation to address Tinubu as President, His Excellency or Mr President.
“Bola is his name. President is his office,” Ibe wrote.
He relied on Sections 36(12) and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that because no specific law criminalises addressing the President by his first name, Atiku had not committed an offence.
Ibe acknowledged that Nigerians were entitled to disagree with Atiku’s approach but cautioned against presenting the matter as a criminal violation.
“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 said.
