Sunday Dare Condemns Atiku Abubakar for Addressing President as Bola

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication Sunday Dare criticized former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for referring to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as "Bola" during a press conference in Abuja. Dare described the use of the first name as "the height of insolence" and "political hubris," suggesting the phrasing indicated a descent into desperation.

The dispute emerged after Atiku, the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress, proposed a government intervention to lower petrol prices. Atiku stated that the President could rename the idea and take the credit if it would result in Nigerians paying less. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo also condemned Atiku's language as disrespectful and discourteous to the office of the presidency.

Dare dismissed the petrol price proposal as a desperate electoral strategy, arguing that Atiku is not qualified to lecture the administration on fiscal management. The exchange occurs as Tinubu is expected to seek a second term in office.