Tinubu: “He Has No Other Name, His Name Is Bola And He Should Be Called Bola–Atiku’s Aide

According to a report by Vanguard, on Sunday, October 11, 2026, Phrank Shaibu, senior special assistant on public communication to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has criticised individuals faulting his principal for addressing President Bola Tinubu by his first name.

Shaibu defended Atiku’s decision, arguing that referring to the president as Bola should not be interpreted as an act of disrespect.

He maintained that Tinubu’s first name was widely known and that using it when addressing him did not justify the criticism directed at the former vice-president.

The communication aide described the objections raised against Atiku’s manner of addressing the president as unnecessary, insisting that the controversy was based on an unreasonable interpretation of the name used.

His comments have brought renewed attention to the exchange between political figures and the debate over the language used when referring to Nigeria’s president.

Shaibu, who also serves as the director of strategic communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the remarks during an appearance on the ‘Mic On Podcast’ hosted by Seun Okinbaloye on Saturday.

During the programme, he addressed the criticism surrounding Atiku’s decision to call Tinubu by his first name rather than using his presidential title or surname.

Shaibu defended his principal’s position, maintaining that Bola was the name by which the president was commonly known.

He argued that the use of the name should not be treated as an attempt to undermine the office of the president or show a lack of respect for the country’s leader.

According to him, the criticism directed at Atiku over the matter was misplaced because the name used was the president’s actual first name.

The ADC director of strategic communication further criticised those who considered Atiku’s reference to Tinubu by his first name disrespectful.

He argued that there was no justification for treating the use of Bola as an inappropriate way of identifying the president.

Shaibu maintained that a person’s name remained a valid means of identification and that the president was not an exception to that principle.

He also questioned the reasoning behind the objections, suggesting that the controversy arose from an unnecessary attempt to attach disrespect to a name that Tinubu had been given.

His remarks were directed at individuals who had faulted the former vice-president, as he sought to defend Atiku against the criticism and explain why he believed the name should not be a source of political controversy.

Shaibu’s comments also focused on what he described as the unreasonable nature of interpreting Atiku’s action as disrespectful.

He maintained that calling the president Bola did not amount to an insult simply because the name was used without an accompanying title.

The former vice-president’s aide argued that the president’s first name was familiar to Nigerians and that its use should not automatically be viewed as an attempt to diminish his status.

He further suggested that those criticising Atiku were placing unnecessary emphasis on the manner in which the president was addressed rather than recognising that Bola was his name.

Shaibu’s defence centred on the distinction between using a person’s actual name and deliberately employing language intended to insult or demean that person.

The controversy comes amid political exchanges involving prominent figures as political parties and their supporters continue to debate public statements and the conduct of political leaders.

Shaibu, speaking in his capacity as a communication aide to Atiku and a strategic communication official of the ADC, maintained that the criticism directed at his principal over the use of Tinubu’s first name was unjustified.

He argued that the president’s name should not be treated as an offensive expression and questioned why Atiku’s decision to use it had attracted objections.

His remarks reflected his disagreement with those who viewed the form of address as disrespectful, while reinforcing his position that using the president’s first name was not, in itself, an insult.

He continued to defend Atiku’s action, insisting that the name was appropriate because it was the name by which Tinubu was known.

Speaking during the programme, Shaibu dismissed the argument that Atiku had shown disrespect by addressing the president by his first name.

He described the position taken by those criticising his principal in strongly worded terms and maintained that Bola was simply Tinubu’s name.

He said, “That is his name. He has no other name. His name is Bola and he should be called Bola.”

Liveonsky feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com