Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to protect the interests of the Yoruba people and all Nigerians if elected president in 2027, dismissing claims he would favour the North.
In a statement issued through his media consultant, Kola Johnson, Atiku described the Yoruba as “one of the best specimens of the human race” and said his long-standing family ties to the region make such fears unfounded.
“I was married to my first wife, Titi, a Yoruba woman, in the 1970s, and we have four children together. She is now over 75 years old and we are still together. My children sometimes call me ‘Baba Rere,’ meaning good father,” Atiku said.
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He stressed that Yorubas have “always occupied a special place in my heart” and promised their interests would remain central to his policies if he wins the presidency. “The fear that my ascension might lead to Hausa/Fulani domination over Yorubas or other ethnic groups is absolutely unfounded,” he added.
Atiku, the Waziri of Adamawa, described himself as “a highly detribalised person,” noting that his marital and political experiences had further strengthened his bond with Yorubas. “I see the larger Yoruba regional landscape as my home, and Yorubas as an extended family,” he said.
