A fresh war of words has erupted between the Tinubu administration and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar after Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo condemned the opposition politician for repeatedly calling President Bola Tinubu “Bola” during a recent press briefing. Keyamo described Atiku’s choice of address as discourteous, arguing that the dignity of the presidency should be […]
A fresh war of words has erupted between the Tinubu administration and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar after Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo condemned the opposition politician for repeatedly calling President Bola Tinubu “Bola” during a recent press briefing.
Keyamo described Atiku’s choice of address as discourteous, arguing that the dignity of the presidency should be maintained even when political disagreements exist between individuals.
The minister made his position known in a statement issued on Saturday, reacting to Atiku’s appearance at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
According to Keyamo, Atiku’s repeated use of Tinubu’s first name was inappropriate and showed insufficient regard for the office occupied by the President.
“The continuous reference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by His Excellency, ex Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in his Press Conference earlier today as ‘Bola’ is very disrespectful and discourteous,” he said.
Keyamo urged Atiku to consider the interest of Nigeria when making public statements about the President, insisting that political rivalry should not affect the respect accorded to the presidential office.
“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,” the minister said.
The aviation minister also criticised the character of Atiku’s comments during the briefing, saying they reflected what he described as “pain and bitterness in his heart.”
Keyamo went further by questioning Atiku’s decision to call Tinubu by his first name after the former vice president recently claimed that the President is older than him.
He described Atiku’s claim about Tinubu’s age as “outlandish” and argued that the two positions were inconsistent.
“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.
The minister’s reaction followed Atiku’s latest criticism of the Tinubu administration, particularly over the cost of petrol and the wider economic hardship facing Nigerians.
Atiku had called on the President to reduce petrol prices and use the remaining months of his first term to ease the burden on citizens, while also warning against further hardship from planned electricity subsidy changes.
He also offered to provide the Tinubu administration with his policy framework, saying the government could adopt and implement the proposals if they would bring relief to Nigerians.
The latest exchange adds to the increasingly sharp political differences between Atiku and supporters of the Tinubu administration as the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections.