Presidency unveils how President Buhari should be addressed now

The federal government has released a new directive on how President Muhammadu Buhari should be addressed at formal functions.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, gave the directive in a circular sent to ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government.

Mustapha said it becomes necessary to have a standard format for addressing the President at such formal occasions.

He said: “Government has observed with concern the inconsistent manner in which the President, federal republic of Nigeria is addressed during official and private functions. It has therefore become necessary to have a standard format for addressing him at such formal occasions,” Mustapha wrote in the circular dated January 26.

“To this end, Mr. President shall henceforth be addressed as ‘‘MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.’’ except in purely Armed forces programmes, where “COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA” will be added.

“All concerned persons should accordingly be guided and ensure strict compliance with the contents of this circular.”

This new directive indicates the president, though a retired major general, is not to be addressed by that military rank at formal functions.

The President.Muhammadu Buhari, dropped the title ‘General’ from his name after he was sworn in on May 29,2015.

His media team disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, May 17, in Abuja.

The statement had read: “From May 29, 2015, the president-elect and vice-president-elect are to be respectively known and addressed as Muhammadu Buhari, President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.”