Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has made a direct appeal to the Yoruba people for their support in the 2027 presidential elections, highlighting their long personal and family connections with the southwest.
In a statement issued by its media consultancy, Kola Johnson, Atiku cited her first marriage to Titi, a Yoruba woman from Ijesha, in the 1970s.
He stressed that the Union, which produced four children, has created a “genetic link of a family” between him and the Yoruba people.
“My children with Titi sometimes call me ‘Baba rere’, which means good father. I am extremely in love with my children and serves them as a good father, since they urge each father to do the same with their children,” said Atiku.
He described his wife born in Ijesha as his “jewel of invaluable value” and insisted that the Yoruba had always been among their closest friends and allies.
Atiku assured the community that if president was elected, the interests of the southwest would be a priority in their formulation of policies and governance.
He also tried to quell the fears of a “domination of Hausa/Fulani”, calling such absolutely unfounded “concerns.
“Anyone who knows me will tell you with all sincerity that, as a person, I am naturally a highly detributed person. Even before being able to venture to politics, easily and effortlessly fluied with people from various tribes, ethnicity, religion and any sectarian difference,” ATIKU added.
Atiku leads the coalition of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to rough President Bola Tinubu, who is a southwest Yoruba in the 2027 presidential elections.
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