Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for repeatedly referring to President Bola Tinubu by his first name during a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
Keyamo, in a post on his X handle, described Atiku’s reference to the President as “very disrespectful and discourteous”, arguing that the office of the President should be accorded dignity despite political differences.
“The continuous reference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT by His Excellency, ex Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in his Press Conference earlier today as ‘Bola’ is very disrespectful and discourteous,” Keyamo said.
“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 also accused Atiku of speaking from a position of personal grievance, saying, “The tone reeks of pain and bitterness in his heart.”
Keyamo further referenced Atiku’s recent comment about their ages, arguing that it was contradictory for him to describe Tinubu as older than himself while also addressing him by his first name.
“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.
Atiku had earlier urged Tinubu to adopt his proposal for government intervention to reduce petrol prices, saying the President could rename the initiative and take credit for it if it would help reduce the burden on Nigerians.
Speaking at the press conference, Atiku also called for measures to reduce the cost of petrol and warned against relying on palliatives to address the rising cost of living.
“Bola Tinubu should not be ashamed to do what is necessary to lower the price of petrol simply because Atiku Abubakar proposed a government intervention.
“He should just take the idea, rename it if he wishes, and even take the credit. What matters to me is that Nigerians pay less,” he said.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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