Veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Reuben Abati, has criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent remarks regarding Yoruba interests ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Abati made the comments on Thursday, while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show.
He faulted Atiku’s statement that Yoruba people need not fear his presidency because he is married to an Ijesha-born woman and has children with her.
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Abati described the statement as “unfortunate,” accusing Atiku of “tribalizing” politics.
He emphasized that a politician of Atiku’s experience should prioritize national issues rather than ethnic sentiments.
“To start with, that ethnic card should not work. It must not work.
“It is unacceptable to the extent that there are more serious issues on the basis of which Atiku can engage with Nigerians,” Abati said.
He added that Nigerians expect presidential candidates to present solutions to pressing challenges such as oil theft, the operations of NNPC Limited, insurgency, terrorism, and controversies over state funds, rather than citing ethnic ties.
Abati also stressed that Yoruba people have already produced presidents, including Olusegun Obasanjo and Bola Tinubu, and therefore do not require assurances of representation.
“Look, this again, is very unfortunate, because it’s about the tribalization, the ethnicization of Nigerian politics,” Abati said.
“One what Nigerians expect is not a president that will talk about where he comes from, where he married from.
“That’s not the interest, the interest should be what does he intend to do for Nigeria.
There are many issues insurgency, terrorism, NNPC operations that require serious attention, not ethnic justification.”
The former presidential aide concluded that ethnic considerations should not dominate political discourse ahead of the 2027 elections.
