The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for repeatedly referring to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by his first name during a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
In a post on his X handle, Keyamo described Atiku’s reference to the President as “Bola” as “very disrespectful and discourteous,” stressing that the office of the President should be accorded the dignity it deserves despite political differences.
Keyamo said, “The continuous reference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT by His Excellency, ex Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in his Press Conference earlier today as ‘Bola’ is very disrespectful and discourteous.”
“He should know better that no matter your differences with Mr. President, for the sake of the country, that office should be accorded all the dignity it deserves,” he added.
The minister also accused Atiku of speaking from a position of personal grievance, saying the tone of his remarks “reeks of pain and bitterness in his heart.”
Keyamo further referenced Atiku’s recent comment about their ages, arguing that it was contradictory for him to describe Tinubu as older than himself and still address the President by his first name.
“After all, he made the outlandish claim the other day that Mr. President is older than himself. It is therefore a contradiction that he would also refer to an ‘elder’ by his first name,” Keyamo said.
Atiku had in recent times addressed the President as Bola in most of his comments.
Yesterday, during the press conference in Abuja, had called on Tinubu to adopt his proposal for government intervention to reduce the price of petrol, saying the President could rename the initiative and take credit for it if that would ease the burden on Nigerians.
“Bola should not be ashamed to do what is necessary to lower the price of petrol simply because Atiku Abubakar proposed a government intervention,” Atiku said.
“He should just take the idea, rename it if he wishes, and even take the credit. What matters to me is that Nigerians pay less,” he added.
Atiku also urged the Federal Government to take steps to reduce petrol prices, warning against relying on palliatives to address the rising cost of living.
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