Lagos APC Condemns Unbecoming Practice of Addressing the President by His First Name<\/p>\n
The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) strongly condemns the deliberate and persistent practice by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some of his aides of referring to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu simply by his first name during press conferences, media interviews and other public engagements.<\/p>\n
We consider this practice unacceptable, deliberately disrespectful, politically irresponsible and unbecoming of individuals who have occupied, or aspire to occupy, the highest offices in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Let us be clear: this is not a question of grammatical preference, personal familiarity or an innocent departure from convention. It is a matter of respect for the office of the President, the dignity of our national institutions and the standards of decorum expected of responsible political leaders.<\/p>\n
Atiku Abubakar is a former Vice President of Nigeria. He understands the symbolism, authority and institutional significance of the presidency. He knows that the office of President is not a private possession of its occupant but a constitutional institution representing the sovereignty and collective will of the Nigerian people.<\/p>\n
It is therefore difficult to accept that a politician of his standing and experience could be unaware of the implications of repeatedly addressing the incumbent President by his first name in formal public engagements. When this practice becomes a recurring feature of press conferences and media interviews, it inevitably raises questions about intent, judgment and respect for established democratic conventions.<\/p>\n
Political disagreement does not confer a licence for deliberate discourtesy, and opposition does not cancel the obligation to show respect for the highest office in the land.<\/p>\n
We are particularly concerned that this practice appears to extend beyond Atiku himself to some of his aides and political associates. When individuals within a political camp repeatedly adopt the same dismissive mode of reference, it becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss the conduct as accidental or inconsequential. It creates the impression of a deliberate political posture designed to diminish the stature of the President in the eyes of the public.<\/p>\n
Is this the new standard of political engagement being promoted by Atiku and his circle? Is the desperation to discredit President Tinubu becoming so consuming that elementary courtesies and the basic conventions of public life are now considered expendable?<\/p>\n
These are legitimate questions that deserve answers.<\/p>\n
For the avoidance of doubt, we are not suggesting that President Tinubu is beyond criticism. His policies, decisions and performance remain legitimate subjects of public scrutiny. Opposition parties and political leaders have every right to challenge his administration, interrogate its achievements and shortcomings, and present alternative approaches to governance.<\/p>\n
However, there is a fundamental difference between robust criticism of a President\u2019s policies and the deliberate refusal to accord the office its appropriate recognition in formal public discourse.<\/p>\n
In Nigeria\u2019s political culture, as in many democracies, titles such as President, former President, Vice President and former Vice President serve a purpose beyond personal courtesy. They acknowledge public office, institutional continuity and the responsibilities associated with leadership. Their use does not imply blind loyalty, political endorsement or the suspension of critical thought. It reflects a basic understanding that public institutions deserve respect even amid fierce political competition.<\/p>\n
Indeed, Atiku himself would hardly consider it appropriate for political opponents to address him in formal engagements without acknowledging his status as a former Vice President. The question, therefore, is why the courtesy and decorum expected for his own office should be denied to the incumbent President of the Federal Republic.<\/p>\n
Respect cannot be a one-way street, selectively demanded for oneself and deliberately withheld from a political opponent.<\/p>\n
We find it particularly troubling that this conduct is unfolding against the backdrop of an increasingly heated political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 general election. Political leaders have a responsibility to lower tensions, exercise restraint, model civility and demonstrate that competition for power need not degenerate into institutional disrespect.<\/p>\n
Atiku and his aides must appreciate that the language they deploy in public carries consequences. Repeatedly referring to the President by his first name in formal political engagements, in circumstances that convey deliberate disregard for the office, risks normalising a culture of contempt in which respect for public institutions becomes subordinate to partisan hostility.<\/p>\n
A former Vice President should be a repository of democratic experience and political maturity. He should understand that the dignity of the presidency is not diminished because the incumbent belongs to another political party, nor should the conventions associated with the office be discarded simply because its occupant is a rival in the contest for power.<\/p>\n
We therefore challenge Atiku Abubakar to demonstrate the statesmanship expected of someone who has occupied the second-highest office in the country. His political ambition, however legitimate, cannot justify conduct that falls below the standards of civility and mutual respect required in a constitutional democracy.<\/p>\n
If Atiku believes that President Tinubu has failed Nigerians, he should make that case with facts, evidence, policy alternatives and a compelling vision for the country. If his aides believe they have superior arguments, they should present them confidently and intelligently. Neither personal familiarity nor deliberate discourtesy is a substitute for political substance.<\/p>\n
The Nigerian electorate deserves a contest of ideas, not a race to the bottom in political etiquette. Our democracy should be defined by the strength of competing arguments and the credibility of competing programmes, not by a calculated erosion of respect for the institutions of state.<\/p>\n
The Lagos APC will not be distracted by this attempt to make discourtesy appear fashionable or politically advantageous. We will continue to defend democratic values, insist on responsible political engagement and challenge conduct that threatens to lower the standards of public discourse.<\/p>\n
Our position is simple and unequivocal: Atiku Abubakar and his aides are entitled to oppose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but they are not entitled to confuse opposition with disrespect or political rivalry with institutional contempt.<\/p>\n
The presidency is bigger than the individual who occupies it. Today, it is President Tinubu; tomorrow, another Nigerian will occupy that office. The conventions of respect and institutional dignity we uphold today will equally protect those who succeed him.<\/p>\n
Atiku must therefore call his political associates to order and lead by example. A man who seeks the mandate of Nigerians to become President should demonstrate that he understands not only the privileges of the office he covets but also the dignity, discipline and responsibility it demands.<\/p>\n
If political frustration is now dictating basic courtesies, Nigerians are entitled to ask whether the desperation for power is beginning to override the judgment expected of a statesman.<\/p>\n
The 2027 election should be about who can best serve Nigeria, not who can most casually disregard the conventions of public office. President Tinubu deserves the respect due to the office he occupies, irrespective of political differences. That is not a favour to the President; it is a minimum requirement of responsible democratic conduct.<\/p>\n
Hon. Seye Oladejo
\nLagos APC Spokesman.
\n12\/10\/26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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