Addressing Buhari by military rank a symptom of press freedom – Presidency 

The Presidency on Wednesday acknowledged that the decision of a  newspaper to be addressing President Muhammadu Buhari shows a clear sign of freedom of speech in Nigeria.

Femi Adeniyi, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in  a statement indicated that a newspaper said it will henceforth address Buhari  in his military rank of Major General.

Adeniyi argued that “Nothing untoward in it. It is a rank the President attained by dint of hard work before he retired from the Nigerian Army. And today, constitutionally, he is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”

He maintain: “All over the world, just as in our country, a large number of retired military officers are now democrats. It does not make those who did not pass through military service better than them.

“Rather than being pejorative, addressing President Buhari by his military rank is another testimony to free speech and freedom of the press, which this administration (or regime, if anyone prefers: it is a matter of semantics) has pledged to uphold and preserve.”