A former presidential spokesman and Director-General of Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, Mr Akin Osuntokun, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for repeatedly referring to President Bola Tinubu as “Bola” in his October 1 Independence Day address.
In a statement on Thursday, Osuntokun said while Abubakar was entitled to criticise Tinubu and his administration, his manner of addressing the President was disrespectful and amounted to an affront to the office of the President.
He said his longstanding cordial relationship with Abubakar had made him reluctant to criticise him harshly 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’.
“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.
He noted that Tinubu was Nigeria’s elected President and occupied the same office Abubakar had sought to attain, adding that those who opposed the President had 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 stressed that his position was not a call for deference to Tinubu’s policies or personality, but rather an appeal for decorum in public discourse and respect for the institution of the presidency.
He argued that anyone seeking Nigerians’ mandate to occupy the presidency should demonstrate respect for the office, even when it is occupied by a political opponent.
“Imagine a former Vice President referring throughout a national address to a sitting President as ‘Segun’ or ‘Muhammadu’. The rudeness would be unmistakable,” he said.
Osuntokun added that Abubakar’s choice of words raised questions about the judgment and temperament he would bring to the presidency if elected.
Abubakar, who served as Vice President between 1999 and 2007, is among opposition figures positioning themselves to challenge the ruling establishment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
