A media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has reacted sarcastically to criticism over his reference to President Bola Tinubu simply as “Bola”, saying he should perhaps have used “Amoda”, a name he claimed has long been associated with the President.
Ibe, who is part of Atiku’s media team as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, made the remark in a post on X on Wednesday amid renewed political exchanges ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The controversy followed Ibe’s earlier reference to the President as “Bola”, which apparently drew criticism from supporters of the Tinubu administration.
In response, Ibe said he was “apologising” for using the name, but questioned why the choice of four letters had generated such attention.
“I ‘apologise’ for calling Tinubu ‘Bola’. I had no idea four letters could cause this much national distress,” he wrote.
Ibe then suggested that he could have referred to the President as “Amoda”, describing it as “the foundational name long associated with him.”
He continued his sarcastic response by linking the naming controversy to wider political debates that have, over the years, surrounded Tinubu’s name, background, educational records and official documents.
“So, ‘correction’ duly noted: ‘Bola’ was apparently too familiar. ‘Amoda’ is disputed. Tinubu it is — pending further documentation,” Ibe added.
The latest exchange comes against the backdrop of growing political rivalry ahead of the 2027 elections, with supporters of President Tinubu and opposition politicians increasingly trading criticisms over issues ranging from governance to the personal records of political leaders.
Questions and competing claims surrounding Tinubu’s name and personal records have featured in Nigerian political discourse for years, with supporters and opponents offering different interpretations of available records and previous controversies.
Ibe’s latest comments therefore extend beyond the immediate disagreement over how the President was addressed, using the issue to revive broader political arguments surrounding Tinubu.
The development is another indication of the increasingly heated political exchanges expected to dominate the build-up to the 2027 general elections, particularly as Atiku and other opposition figures position themselves ahead of the contest.