Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pledged that the interests of the Yoruba will occupy a “topmost place” in his administration’s policies if he is elected President in 2027.
Atiku made the statement on Thursday, in Abuja through his media consultant, Kola Johnson.
He described as unfounded the fear that his presidency might lead to Hausa/Fulani domination over Yoruba or other ethnic groups.
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“The entire Yoruba stock is my larger extended family and in-laws,” Atiku said.
“This is why the Yoruba, whether individually or collectively, have always occupied a special place in my heart.”
He emphasised that his marital and personal ties to the Yoruba people make such fears baseless.
“I count myself extremely lucky indeed to have had a wife from amongst this noble species of the human race, which by this token implies that the bond uniting me together with the Yoruba is aptly like the genetic bond of a family,” he added.
The ex-vice president promised that the South-West will be central to his policymaking if he wins the 2027 election.
“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,” Atiku said.
Atiku also cited his first marriage to Titi, an Ijesha-born Yoruba woman, as proof of his deep connection to the South-West.
“In case you don’t know or have forgotten, I was married to my first wife, Titi, a Yoruba woman, in the 70s, and we have four Yoruba children together. She is now over 75 years old, and we are still together,” he stated.
He further described himself as “naturally a highly detribalised person” who has always engaged easily with people from diverse tribes, ethnicities, and religions.
