Keyamo Knocks Atiku for Addressing President Tinubu as ‘Bola’

Keyamo Knocks Atiku for Addressing President Tinubu as ‘Bola’

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 Ahmed Tinubu simply as “Bola” during a press conference on Nigeria’s rising petrol prices and cost of living.

Keyamo described the reference as “very disrespectful and discourteous”, arguing that political disagreements should not diminish the dignity attached to the office of the President.

The minister made the comments in a post on his X account on Friday, September 18, 2026, shortly after Atiku addressed journalists in Abuja on fuel prices, palliatives, electricity costs and economic hardship.

Keyamo said Atiku should recognise that, regardless of political differences, the office of the President deserved to be accorded the appropriate respect.

“The continuous reference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu … as ‘Bola’ is very disrespectful and discourteous,” Keyamo said.

He added that Atiku should understand that “no matter your differences with Mr President,” the presidential office should be accorded the dignity it deserves.

Keyamo also accused the former Vice-President of speaking from a position of personal grievance, saying the tone of his remarks “reeks of pain and bitterness in his heart”.

The minister further referred to Atiku’s recent comments about the ages of the two politicians, arguing that it was inconsistent for Atiku to describe Tinubu as older than himself while also addressing him by his first name.

The criticism came after Atiku used his press conference to call on Tinubu to take immediate measures to reduce the price of petrol and diesel and ease the economic pressure on Nigerians.

Atiku argued that the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023 had contributed to higher transportation, logistics, food and energy costs, with households, workers, farmers and businesses bearing the consequences.

He said rising fuel costs had effects far beyond filling stations because higher transportation and logistics expenses eventually feed into the prices of food and other goods.

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Atiku urged Tinubu to reconsider the government’s approach and said the President should be willing to adopt a policy proposal capable of reducing petrol prices even if the idea originated 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,” he said.

He added that the President could rename the proposal or take credit for it if necessary, stressing that what mattered to him was for Nigerians to pay less for petrol.

Atiku also criticised the continued reliance on government palliatives to cushion the effects of economic hardship.

According to him, emergency assistance cannot substitute for policies that address the underlying causes of rising costs.

He argued that measures such as food distribution and cash support could provide temporary relief but would not restore Nigerians’ purchasing power if the costs of fuel, electricity, transportation and production continued to rise.

Atiku said the government’s economic performance should ultimately be assessed by whether ordinary Nigerians could afford essential goods and services, rather than by increases in government revenue or headline economic figures.

The ADC candidate also raised concerns over the planned phase-out of electricity subsidies from 2027, warning that another increase in energy costs could place additional pressure on households, small businesses and manufacturers.

He said businesses were already spending heavily on electricity, diesel and alternative power sources to remain operational.

Atiku argued that the experience following petrol subsidy removal should inform the government’s approach to electricity pricing and called for measures that would prevent additional pressure on consumers and productive businesses.

The former Vice-President’s intervention has drawn a response from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said Atiku had not presented what he considered a credible alternative to the economic policies of the Tinubu administration.

Morka said Atiku, as a presidential candidate, should explain to Nigerians what he intended to do differently rather than simply ask the President to adopt his proposals.

Morka also criticised Atiku over his position on fuel subsidy removal, accusing him of supporting the policy during the 2023 presidential campaign before subsequently criticising the Tinubu administration over its implementation.

On electricity, Morka questioned Atiku’s criticism of the planned subsidy phase-out, arguing that the former Vice-President had previously served in government and had an opportunity to address challenges in Nigeria’s power sector.

Atiku’s position, however, is that his current proposal for government intervention is intended to reduce the cost of domestically refined petroleum products and protect consumers from the effects of high energy prices.

He has also argued that the government should focus on policies that increase purchasing power and reduce production costs rather than relying primarily on palliatives.

The competing positions have added to the growing political debate over petrol pricing, fuel subsidy policy, electricity costs and the wider cost of living as political parties prepare for the 2027 general election.

Keyamo’s intervention, however, was specifically focused on Atiku’s manner of addressing Tinubu and the dignity of the presidential office, rather than providing a detailed response to Atiku’s fuel-pricing proposal.

The dispute therefore combines a political disagreement over the appropriate way to address the President with a broader policy debate over how Nigeria should respond to high energy and living costs.

As the 2027 election approaches, fuel prices, electricity tariffs, subsidy policy, domestic refining and purchasing power are expected to remain prominent issues in exchanges between the Federal Government, the APC and opposition parties.

Keyamo Knocks Atiku for Addressing President Tinubu as ‘Bola’