By Abiola Olawale
A former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has vowed to place Yoruba interests at the forefront of his governance agenda if elected president in 2027.
Atiku, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, now aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), dismissed fears of ethnic domination under his potential administration, emphasizing his deep personal and familial ties to the Yoruba people.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday via his media consultant, Kola Johnson.
Atiku was quoted as saying the statement: “The entire Yoruba stock is my larger extended family and in-laws.
“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.
“This is why the Yoruba, whether individually or collectively, have always occupied a special place in my heart.
“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.
“Therefore, the fear that my ascension to presidency might lead to Hausa/Fulani domination over Yorubas or other ethnic groups does not only arise, but also is absolutely unfounded because the entire Yoruba stock is my larger extended family and in-laws.”
The former vice president cited his first marriage to Titi, an Ijesha-born Yoruba woman, whom he married in the 1970s, as proof of his deep-rooted 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.
“My children with Titi sometimes call me ‘Baba Rere’, meaning good father. I am extremely in love with my children and serve as a good father to them, as I urge every father to do the same to their children,” the former Vice President added.
The New Diplomat reports that Atiku has been a long-time presidential hopeful. He is seeking to upstage President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential poll.
He came second in the 2023 general election.
