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.

READ ALSO:

• Rivers Fire: Mother, Four Children Die in Okochiri House Inferno
• Niger Miners’ Deaths: Survivor Alleges Substance Was Sprayed in Cell as Probe Intensifies
• Lagos APC Orders 2027 Candidates to Stay in Nigeria Until After Election

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’

Lagos APC Orders 2027 Candidates to Stay in Nigeria Until After Election

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed all its candidates contesting the 2027 general elections to remain in Nigeria until after the polls, as the party formally activates its campaign machinery and begins an intensified grassroots mobilisation drive across the state.

The directive was issued by the Lagos APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, on Friday, September 18, 2026, during the inauguration of the party’s 1,235-member 2027 campaign council at the APC secretariat on ACME Road, Ikeja.

Ojelabi told the candidates to cooperate with the campaign council and remain available for campaign activities, stressing the importance of coordination and accountability within the party’s election structure.

“To our candidates, cooperate with the campaign council and make yourself available. After today’s inauguration, no candidate is allowed to travel outside the country until after the general elections,” Ojelabi said.

The directive is an internal instruction by the Lagos APC to its candidates and should not be interpreted as a government-imposed restriction on international travel. It does not amount to a travel ban on members of the general public.

The travel directive came as the party inaugurated a large campaign structure designed to coordinate its activities across Lagos ahead of the 2027 elections.

Former Minister of State for Defence and former senator, Musiliu Obanikoro, is serving as Director-General of the campaign council, while Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is listed as chairman and Deputy Governor and APC governorship candidate Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as deputy chairman.

READ ALSO:

• BREAKING: Bloodbath at Pakistan Mosque as Suicide Blast Kills 21, Injures 103
• Xenophobia: FG Brings 33 More Nigerians Home From South Africa
• Falconets Thrash England 3-0, Face Colombia in U-20 World Cup Quarter-Finals

The campaign structure also includes APC Lagos chairman Ojelabi as Vice-Chairman I, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa as Vice-Chairman II and Damilola Sonayon James as Vice-Chairman III.

At the advisory level, Prince Tajudeen Olusi is chairman of the Governance Advisory Council, while Sanwo-Olu heads the Advisory Council. Former Lagos governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode are listed as co-chairmen.

Other prominent figures in the structure include President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and former Minister of Health Adeleke Mamora.

The campaign council has multiple directorates and committees responsible for areas including legal and compliance, party and inter-party affairs, administration and logistics, finance and fundraising, ICT, traditional institutions, diaspora engagement and residents’ associations.

The structure also provides for coordination across Lagos’ senatorial districts, local government areas and other grassroots political structures.

Ojelabi said the party would adopt a decentralised grassroots strategy, with members expected to work directly within communities, wards and polling areas.

He described the approach as “operation man your polling booth”, saying the party intended to deploy its members and leaders to polling locations to mobilise voters.

The APC chairman put the party’s target at five million votes from a projected seven million voters in Lagos. That figure is a campaign target announced by the party and does not represent an established election result or independent projection.

Ojelabi also urged members to respect the law and maintain discipline within the campaign structure. He called for an election campaign free from hatred, thuggery and violence, stressing the importance of peaceful political engagement.

Hamzat, who is the APC’s candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election, urged party members to base their campaign on what they describe as the records and achievements of APC-led administrations.

He said campaign messages should focus on facts, data and measurable outcomes, citing areas including taxation, infrastructure, agriculture and security.

Hamzat also referenced major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, while calling on party members to explain the administration’s policies and programmes to voters during the campaign.

The governorship candidate also urged APC members to mobilise voters at the community level and work for the party’s candidates contesting the Senate, House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly elections.

Obanikoro, as Director-General of the campaign council, also called for unity and commitment among members of the campaign structure as the party begins its electioneering activities.

The inauguration brings together serving and former political office holders, elected representatives, candidates and other party stakeholders as the Lagos APC prepares for the 2027 electoral cycle.

The party’s campaign structure is expected to coordinate its activities across the state while keeping candidates and grassroots members engaged throughout the election period.

The directive that APC candidates should remain in Nigeria until after the election therefore forms part of the party’s internal campaign coordination strategy, coming at a time when political parties are organising their structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Lagos APC Orders 2027 Candidates to Stay in Nigeria Until After Election