The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has urged its members and spokespersons to maintain respect for President Bola Tinubu, following former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s decision to address him by his first name.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council criticised Atiku’s action, describing it as disrespectful to the office of the President.
The council also accused the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate of allowing political animosity and ambition to influence his public conduct.
It, however, urged party leaders, members, spokespersons and support groups to accord Atiku the respect due to him as a former Vice President and presidential candidate.
The council said its campaign would focus on issues affecting Nigerians, the Tinubu administration’s achievements and its efforts to move the country from reforms to prosperity ahead of the next presidential election.
PRESS STATEMENT
ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN COUNCIL
APC CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSONS WILL NOT TRAVEL ATIKU’S ROUTE OF DISRESPECTING PROTOCOL
We have followed the furore and public reactions to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s self-imposed indiscretion and disrespect for the office of the President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief, the Presidential candidate of the ADC.
While a higher standard of decorum, decency and deference to constituted authorities is expected from a former Vice President of Nigeria and an aspirant to the highest office in the country, we are concerned that the ADC Presidential candidate has not lived up to those expectations by his unbecoming decision to address the President of Nigeria on a first-name basis as ‘Bola’.
Since Alhaji Atiku lost the last Presidential election, he has allowed political animosity and uncontrollable ambition to rob him of the statesmanship that should guide his public conduct and utterances.
Alhaji Atiku, for reasons best known to him alone, chose, rather than being a good example of decency in political behaviour, to set himself up as a model of politician the younger generation of political actors should never aspire to be like.
Without any regard to his personal choice to disrespect the office he is aspiring to occupy, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has implored all party leaders, spokespersons, party members and support groups to accord all the respect, courtesies and regard due to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as former Vice President of Nigeria and a Presidential candidate.
As a party grounded in progressive ideals and African traditional values of respect, our campaign council will not follow Alhaji Atiku’s path.
Our campaign will focus on issues important to Nigerians. We will sell our party programmes, President Bola Tinubu’s achievements in office, and how the administration is moving Nigeria from reforms to prosperity as the President seeks a second-term mandate from Nigerians.
Dele Alake
Spokesperson
APC Presidential Campaign Council
October 12, 2026
— Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) October 12, 2026
