Atiku Abubakar Promises to Protect Yoruba Interests Ahead of 2027 Election
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has promised that if elected president in 2027, the interests of the Yoruba people will remain central to his government. Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made this pledge while addressing concerns that his leadership might favour his Fulani background.
In a statement released by his media consultant, Kola Johnson, Atiku highlighted his strong marital and personal ties to the South-West as proof of his connection to the Yoruba. He explained that his relationship with the Yoruba community is not political but deeply personal.
“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,” Atiku said. “This is why the Yoruba, whether individually or collectively, have always occupied a special place in my heart.”
Atiku assured that, if given the mandate in 2027, Yoruba interests will play a top role in his policy decisions. He also dismissed fears of ethnic domination, stressing that the Yoruba are his extended family through marriage.
To further illustrate this, Atiku recalled his marriage in the 1970s to Titi, an Ijesha-born Yoruba woman, with whom he has four children. He described her as his “Jewel of Inestimable Value” and emphasized that their marriage is still strong after more than five decades. “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,” he added.
The former vice president also stressed his long history of working with Yoruba friends and allies in politics, describing himself as a detribalised Nigerian. “Even before I ventured into politics, I flowed easily and effortlessly with people of diverse tribes, ethnicity, religion, and whatever sectarian differences,” he said.
Atiku, who has contested for the presidency multiple times since the early 1990s, remains one of Nigeria’s most consistent political figures. In the 2023 general election, he came second to Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The South-West, home to the Yoruba ethnic group, has always played a decisive role in Nigeria’s politics, often shaping the outcome of presidential elections. Atiku’s latest pledge signals his intention to strengthen his support base in the region ahead of the 2027 polls.
