The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for repeatedly referring to the President as “Bola.”
Dare described Atiku’s manner of addressing the President as disrespectful, accusing him of showing what he called “political hubris” in his comments.
The presidential aide spoke in a statement on Saturday, September 19, 2026, in response to remarks made by Atiku at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
At the press conference, Atiku urged Tinubu to consider government intervention to bring down the price of petrol, saying the President could adopt the proposal, rename it and even take credit for it if it would reduce the burden on Nigerians.
Reacting to the remarks, Dare took issue with Atiku’s repeated use of Tinubu’s first name.
“Alhaji Atiku’s manner of addressing President Bola Tinubu as Bola is the height of insolence,” Dare said.
He argued that addressing a sitting president by his first name while giving directives on how the government should operate was inappropriate.
Dare also criticised Atiku’s comments on the economy, saying the former vice-president was not in a position to lecture the Tinubu administration on fiscal management.
“Nigerians do not need lectures on fiscal management from a political wanderer whose decades-long pursuit of the presidency has been defined by perpetual opportunism,” he said.
The presidential aide also faulted Atiku’s proposal for government intervention in petrol pricing, describing it as politically motivated.
Atiku had said Tinubu should not reject an idea simply because it came from a political opponent.
“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,” Atiku said.
“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.”
Dare, however, defended the administration’s economic reforms and said the President was undertaking measures aimed at restructuring the Nigerian economy.