Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has assured that the interests of the Yoruba ethnic group will be a top priority in his administration’s policies if elected president in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released on Thursday by his media consultant, Kola Johnson, Atiku dismissed fears of ethnic domination under his leadership, describing concerns over possible Hausa/Fulani dominance as “absolutely unfounded.”
“The entire Yoruba stock is my larger extended family and in-laws,” Atiku stated, citing his longstanding personal and familial ties to the South-West. “I count myself extremely lucky indeed to have had a wife from amongst this noble species of the human race.”
Atiku, who has been married to his first wife, Titi, an Ijesha-born Yoruba woman, since the 1970s, highlighted their decades-long relationship and their four children as proof of his close ties to the Yoruba community.
“She is now over 75 years old, and we are still together,” he noted. “My children with Titi sometimes call me ‘Baba Rere’, meaning good father.”
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The former vice president, a recurring contender in Nigeria’s presidential races, promised that if elected in 2027, his governance would ensure the South-West remains central to national development and policymaking.
“It is also for this reason that the interest of the Yorubas will always occupy a topmost place in my policymaking and governance if, by the special Grace of Allah, I am lucky to be president in 2027,” he said.
Atiku also emphasised his long-standing record of inclusion and his reputation as a detribalised Nigerian. “Even before I could ever venture into politics, I flowed easily and effortlessly with people of diverse tribes, ethnicity, religion and whatever sectarian differences,” he added.
He described the Yoruba people as not only close political allies but also trusted friends and family.
“Anyone who knows me will tell you with all sincerity that, as a person, I am naturally a highly detribalised person,” Atiku said. “This is why the Yoruba, whether individually or collectively, have always occupied a special place in my heart.”
Atiku was the first runner-up in the 2023 general election, which saw President Bola Tinubu emerge victorious. With his recent comments, the former vice president appears to be laying the groundwork for another presidential bid, positioning himself as a unifying figure ahead of the 2027 contest.
