Former Vice President and leading presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has promised Nigerians that his administration, if elected in 2027, will be fully inclusive and reflective of the country’s diversity.
Atiku, who has often faced criticism that his leadership might tilt in favour of his Hausa-Fulani heritage, moved to allay those fears by stressing his deep family ties with the Yoruba ethnic group.
Tinubu Accused of Cronyism
The statement comes amid growing accusations that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has concentrated political power within his Yoruba ethnic group. Critics, including former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, have accused the president of running a government of cronies where “only people with Yoruba names are treated as true Nigerians.”
Atiku also used the opportunity to hit out at Tinubu’s economic record, arguing that life for Nigerians has become significantly worse since May 2023. He claimed that the administration has pushed “30 million more Nigerians into poverty,” while worsening the cost-of-living crisis.
‘Yorubas Are My In-Laws’
Speaking through his media consultant, Kola Johnson, Atiku described the Yoruba people as “one of the finest species of the human race,” highlighting his longstanding personal bond with the group.
“I count myself extremely lucky to have had a wife from among this noble people. By that token, the bond uniting me with the Yoruba is like the genetic bond of a family. That is why the Yoruba, individually and collectively, have always occupied a special place in my heart,” he said.
Atiku reminded critics that his first wife, Titi, hails from Ijesha in Osun State. Married since the 1970s, the couple has four children together. “My children with Titi sometimes call me Baba Rere (good father). I urge every father to do the same,” he added.
He went further to describe Titi as his “jewel of inestimable value,” noting that Yorubas rank among his closest friends and associates. “Yorubas are so sophisticated and highly educated that you can only toy with them at your own peril,” he declared.
A ‘Detribalised’ Philosophy
The former Vice President insisted that his political philosophy has always been detribalised. “Even before politics, I flowed easily with people of diverse tribes, ethnicities and religions. When I joined politics, I was essentially a politician without borders. Call it a statesman, if you will.”
Atiku concluded by stressing that his bond with the Yoruba people makes any fear of ethnic domination under his leadership “absolutely unfounded.”
“The entire Yoruba stock are my larger extended family and in-laws,” he said. “That is why I say again without hesitation — Yorubas are my in-laws.”
