By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has vowed to make the interests of the Yoruba people a “topmost” priority in his administration if he is elected President in 2027. In a statement released on Thursday, Atiku dismissed the notion that his presidency could lead to a “Hausa/Fulani domination” over other ethnic groups, calling such fears “unfounded.”
He asserted that his deep personal and marital ties to the Yoruba community make such concerns baseless. Atiku highlighted his long-standing marriage to his first wife, Titi, an Ijesha-born Yoruba woman, with whom he has four children.
“I count myself extremely lucky indeed to have had a wife from amongst this noble species of the human race,” Atiku said, adding that this bond is like a “genetic bond of a family.” He explained that this is why the Yoruba have always held a “special place in my heart” and would be central to his policymaking.
Atiku, who has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, described himself as a “highly detribalised person” who has always had close relationships with people from various ethnic and religious backgrounds.