By Otunba Rotimi
ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS MOST STRONGEST CANDIDATE THAT HAS CAPACITY TO CHALLENGE THE SITTING PRESIDENT WITHOUT FEARSome people are outraged that Atiku Abubakar referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as simply “Bola.”
But outrage is not law.
Bola is the President’s name, right. There is no Nigerian law that makes it a criminal offence to address a President by his first name.
Section 36(12) of the Constitution says nobody can be convicted of an offence unless that offence and its punishment are prescribed in written law.
So, anyone claiming Atiku committed an offence should produce the law that says Nigerians must always prefix Bola Tinubu’s name with “President,” “His Excellency” or “Mr President.”
There is no such law.
The use of first names among political leaders is not unusual. As U.S. President, Barack Obama publicly referred to German Chancellor Angela Merkel simply as “Angela” at official events, including a White House joint press conference and a State Dinner.
Nigeria’s Constitution also guarantees freedom of expression under Section 39.
People may debate Atiku’s style. They may say they would have preferred “President Tinubu.” That is their opinion.
But let us not invent an offence where none exists.
Bola is his name. President is his office.
The more important question is whether critics can answer the substantive issues Atiku raised in his state of the nation Independence Anniversary address.
