THE All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his decision to address President Bola Tinubu by his first name, describing the action as disrespectful to the office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
News Point Nigeria reports that the council, in a statement issued on Monday, October 12, 2026, said Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had fallen short of the standards of decorum and respect expected of a former vice president and an aspirant to the nation’s highest office. The statement was signed by Dele Alake, spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
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The statement, titled “Public Concerns Over Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s Indiscretion and Disregard for President Tinubu,” also declared that APC campaign spokespersons would not follow what it described as Atiku’s approach.
The council said it had followed the public reactions and controversy surrounding what it characterised as Atiku’s self-imposed indiscretion and disrespect for the office of the President.
It maintained that a higher standard of decorum, decency and deference to constituted authorities was expected from a former vice president and someone aspiring to become president, expressing concern that Atiku had not lived up to those expectations by addressing Tinubu simply as “Bola”.
According to the council, Atiku had, since losing the last presidential election, allowed political animosity and what it described as uncontrollable ambition to undermine the statesmanship expected to guide his public conduct and utterances.
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The statement further accused the former vice president of choosing not to serve as a good example of decent political behaviour, but instead presenting himself as a model that younger generations of political actors should not aspire to emulate.
Despite its criticism of Atiku’s conduct, the APC Presidential Campaign Council said it had instructed party leaders, spokespersons, members and support groups to accord him the respect, courtesies and regard due to him as a former vice president of Nigeria and a presidential candidate.
The council stressed that its position was informed by its commitment to progressive ideals and African traditional values of respect, insisting that it would not follow the path it attributed to Atiku.
“As a party grounded in progressive ideals and African traditional values of respect, our campaign council will not follow Alhaji Atiku’s path,” the statement said.
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The council also outlined its intended campaign strategy, saying it would focus on issues of importance to Nigerians rather than personal exchanges or controversies involving political opponents.
It said the campaign would highlight the party’s programmes, Tinubu’s achievements in office and what it described as the administration’s efforts to move Nigeria from reforms to prosperity as the President seeks a second-term mandate from Nigerians.
