The word ‘excellency’ is a common word used to honor highly respected individuals like politicians, traditional rulers, and others. However, some prominent politicians in the country have rejected the norm and decided to adopt new titles!

And this usually occurs each time they have won their governorship elections. They thereafter asked people to address them with the newly adopted new titles instead of the usual “your excellency sir”

However, the reasons the affected politicians do give differ, while some don’t offer any explanation, but rather direct those who find it inappropriate to address them as ‘Mr. Governor’.

This article briefly takes a look at three prominent politicians who rejected to be addressed using “excellency” after winning guber polls at their respective states.

1. Charles Soludo opted for “Mr. Governor”

The former CBN boss and Anambra governor-elect have rejected the greeting norm and asked the people of the state to address him as Mr. Governor.

He clarified the inauguration of the transition committee in January. Soludo said: “I was called His Excellency a while ago, but may I plead that the Excellency tag waits for now.

“That is part of what we will discuss in this committee. You may just need to learn how to call me by my name, but if that isn’t good for you, then, may I request that you simply call me ‘Charlie Nwangbafor’.

The professor of economics whose inauguration as governor comes up on March 17 emerged victorious last year after defeating his closest rivals in the November 6 Anambra 2021 governorship elections.

He had convincingly defeated the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Chris Uba, and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Valentine Ozigbo. However, the election result is being challenged by Uba!

1. Rauf Aregbesola opted for “Ogbeni”

The APC chieftain and the current Minister of Interior in the administration of President Buhari equally adopted “Ogbeni” while acting as Osun State governor.

Aregbesola who spent 8 years in the office likes to be addressed with the new title instead of using ‘your excellency sir’.

On politics of the 2023 polls, the minister is currently at the loggerheads with his former Chief of State and the incumbent governor over who controls the structure of the party in the state.

3. Rotimi Akeredolu opted for “Arakunrin”

The APC chieftain and incumbent governor of Ondo State is the third politician who opted for Arakunrin as a way of honoring him instead of the normal official greetings.

Sometime in May 2021, his government released a circular on May 6, which was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the State Teaching Service Commission, Tolu Adeyemi, and addressed to the Tutors-General, All TESCOM zonal directors, and principals of public secondary schools in the state, making it mandatory for students in public schools to recite the Oduduwa anthem in all functions in public secondary schools across the state.