Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has assured the Yoruba people that their interests would be central to his presidency if elected in 2027.
Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, dismissed fears that his administration would favour his Fulani kinsmen, stressing that such concerns were unfounded.
In a statement issued by his media consultant, Kola Johnson, the former vice president highlighted his long-standing ties to the Yoruba, citing both personal and marital connections.
“I count myself extremely lucky to have a wife from this noble stock. This bond unites me with the Yoruba like a family. That is why the Yoruba, individually and collectively, have always occupied a special place in my heart,” Atiku said.
He pledged that if elected, the South-West would play a central role in his governance.
“It is also for this reason that the interests of the Yoruba will always occupy the topmost place in my policymaking and governance if, by the special grace of Allah, I become president in 2027. Therefore, the fear that my presidency might lead to Hausa/Fulani domination is not only misplaced but absolutely unfounded. The Yoruba are my extended family and in-laws,” he stated.
Atiku recalled his marriage in the 1970s to his first wife, Titi, an Ijesha-born Yoruba woman, with whom he has four children. He described her as his “Jewel of Inestimable Value” and noted that their children fondly call him Baba Rere (good father).
“My children with Titi sometimes call me ‘Baba Rere.’ I am deeply in love with them and strive to be a good father, as every father should,” he said.
He added that the Yoruba have always been among his closest friends and allies, stressing his detribalised nature.
“Anyone who knows me sincerely knows that I have always flowed effortlessly with people of diverse tribes, ethnicities, religions, and differences, even before politics,” Atiku maintained.
Atiku, who has sought the presidency multiple times since the early 1990s under various platforms, came second to President Bola Tinubu of the APC in the 2023 elections.
The South-West, predominantly Yoruba, has historically played a decisive role in determining Nigeria’s balance of power in national elections.
ADEOLA KUNLE
