This question is germane. It deserves to be asked, examined, processed, and properly dissected.
There is no doubt that Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari has become one of the defining ornaments of contemporary Oyo State politics. His presence, consistency, and political weight have long shaped conversations beyond the routine. However, what has truly unsettled the political firmament in Oyo State is not merely his stature, but his clarity of purpose.
The atmosphere changed palpably the moment Senator Buhari publicly announced that he was not returning to the Senate, but was instead coming home—to seek the mandate of the people as Governor of Oyo State. That declaration did not land softly. It landed with force. Since then, the political space has been gripped by visible unease, manifest anxiety, and quiet panic among many politicians—most of whom lack ideological spine or governing depth.
His declaration introduced an uncomfortable heat. It forced comparison. It disrupted long-settled assumptions. And it exposed fragility where confidence had been pretended.
It was therefore no coincidence that, shortly thereafter, an unsubstantiated, malicious, and deliberately crafted falsehood was circulated, alleging that a recall process had commenced against Senator Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari, the Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District. The claim was loud, sensational, and calculated to mislead. Yet the truth was plain and undeniable: there was no recall process, no petition, no mobilisation of constituents, and no constitutional threshold triggered. What surfaced was not a political development, but a reflex of fear masquerading as information.
Such falsehoods do not arise around irrelevant politicians. They surface when a figure’s growing influence unsettles existing arrangements. The recall hoax was therefore not an attack on Buhari’s senatorial mandate; it was a reaction to the tremors his governorship ambition sent through the political establishment.
What deepened the anxiety was not merely the ambition itself, but the manner in which it was pursued. Senator Buhari did not wake up to announce interest through media theatrics or social media dramatics. He chose a more disciplined and politically mature route—consultation. He met with leaders and stakeholders of the APC across Oyo State, sought counsel, listened attentively, and submitted his aspiration to collective party judgment. By the grace of Allah, that process yielded affirmation, confirmation, and endorsement. At that point, his ambition ceased to be personal and became collective—and that transition is what truly unsettled pretenders.
When legitimacy is secured internally, it becomes difficult to challenge externally. Unable to confront that consensus within party structures, opponents resorted to rumour. The recall narrative thus became a political tell—an unconscious confession that Buhari’s entry into the race has disrupted the existing balance of power.
Beyond speculation, his record explains the fear. In the 9th and 10th National Assemblies, Senator Buhari distinguished himself as the most legislatively productive lawmaker from Oyo State, sponsoring over seventeen substantive bills in the 9th Assembly alone. More important than the numbers is the substance. His legislative focus has consistently been on institutional creation and long-term structural impact, not symbolic motions. The facilitation of the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Oke-Ogun, stands as enduring proof of a governance philosophy rooted in permanence rather than publicity.
His experience extends beyond legislation. As former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters under the Ajimobi administration, Buhari had direct administrative engagement with all thirty-three local governments in Oyo State. That role grounded him deeply in grassroots governance and traditional institutions, explaining why his political reach is decentralised and organically rooted across Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, Iseyin, and rural communities often ignored by power seekers.
Equally significant is his political unboxability. A devout Muslim with deep acceptance across Christian communities, he has neutralised religious weaponisation. His consistent engagement across faith lines has closed a familiar avenue of political manipulation. At the same time, his sustained empowerment of the physically challenged—through mobility aids, braille equipment, and tailored economic support—has expanded political participation beyond conventional calculations, transforming neglected citizens into conscious stakeholders.
What ultimately frightens entrenched interests is Buhari’s disruption of dependency politics. Where others rely on idle youth as political foot soldiers, he invests deliberately in human capital—through vocational empowerment, artisan support, SME grants, and university-driven development. An empowered youth cannot be hired for violence, and an educated citizen cannot be easily manipulated. This quiet but intentional restructuring of opportunity weakens the informal economy of political thuggery.
Underlying all of this is the scholar-politician factor. With academic training in Business Administration, an MBA, and a PhD in Public Policy, Buhari approaches governance as a discipline, not a gamble. Against preparation of that depth, misinformation becomes the last refuge.
In the end, the recall falsehood collapsed under the weight of its own emptiness, but it succeeded in revealing the truth it sought to hide: fear has entered the race. Senator Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari is not merely seeking office; he represents preparedness, inclusion, and a governance template ready for implementation. To the political establishment, that is disruption. To the people of Oyo State, it is reassurance of the fact that Inshallah Senator Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari is not only fit and proper for Agodi but also possesses all the elements of the next Governor of Oyo State
Inshallah he would be
Good day.
By Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq.
