Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has assured the Yoruba that their interests would be central to his presidency if elected in 2027.Atiku, who contested the 2023 election under the Peoples Democratic Party, said on Wednesday that fears of his government favouring his Fulani kinsmen were unfounded. In a statement issued by his media consultant, Kola Johnson, the ex-vice president cited his marital and personal ties to the Yoruba as evidence of his long-standing bond with the South-West.
He said, “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. “He assured that if elected, the South-West would be central to his policymaking.“It is also for this reason that the interest of the Yorubas will always occupy a topmost place in my policy making and governance if by the special Grace of Allah, I am lucky to be president in 2027.
“Anyone who knows me will tell you with all sincerity that as a person, I am naturally a highly detribalised person. Even before I could ever venture into politics, I flowed easily and effortlessly with people of diverse tribes, ethnicity, religion, and whatever sectarian differences,” Atiku added. Atiku has been a recurring presidential contender since the early 1990s, making bids under different political platforms. In the 2023 election, he finished second to Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress. The South-West, predominantly Yoruba, has historically played a decisive role in Nigeria’s elections, often determining the balance of power between northern and southern candidates.
