The media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has dismissed criticisms over his principal’s decision to refer to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “Bola,” insisting that no Nigerian law prohibits citizens from addressing the President by his first name.
Ibe, in a statement on Friday, said the controversy generated by Atiku’s Independence Anniversary address was misplaced, arguing that public disapproval does not amount to a legal offence.
He said, “Some people are outraged that Atiku Abubakar referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as simply ‘Bola.’ But outrage is not law.”
According to him, while Bola Tinubu occupies the office of President, “Bola” remains his name, and there is no law requiring Nigerians to always use official titles when referring to him.
Citing the provisions of the Constitution, Ibe stated, “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 point to any law that criminalises calling the President by his first name.
“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,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with global political practice, Ibe noted that world leaders have often addressed one another by their first names in public without attracting legal consequences.
He said, “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.”
The Atiku spokesman also cited Section 39 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
According to him, “Nigeria’s Constitution also guarantees freedom of expression under Section 39.”
While acknowledging that some people may prefer the President to be addressed by his official title, he maintained that such a preference does not create a legal obligation.
“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.”
Ibe urged Nigerians to shift attention from the argument over names and titles to the issues raised by Atiku in his Independence Anniversary address.
“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.