Paul Ibe, media aide to the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has sarcastically responded to criticism over his reference to President Bola Tinubu as “Bola.”
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ibe said he “apologised” for using the name, suggesting that he should instead have referred to the president as “Amoda,” which he described as a name long associated with Tinubu.
“I ‘apologise’ for calling Tinubu ‘Bola.’ I had no idea four letters could cause this much national distress,” Ibe wrote.
He added that he perhaps should have used “Amoda,” before noting that the name itself is disputed.
Ibe said the controversies surrounding Tinubu’s name, background, certificates, records and documents had made addressing the president appear to require further clarification.
“So, ‘correction’ duly noted: ‘Bola’ was apparently too familiar. ‘Amoda’ is disputed. Tinubu it is — pending further documentation,” he added.
The comment comes amid renewed political exchanges between supporters of the Tinubu administration and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
