Of all the gubernatorial hopefuls jostling to succeed Seyi Makinde in the 2027 elections, only one contender stands head and shoulders above the rest in character, competence, and capacity, the three ‘Cs’ that have come to define the exemplary traits of great leaders. By character, I mean the man who keeps his words, keeps to time (he’s damn punctual!) fulfill his promises, and acts humbly, modestly, and humanly all in the utmost interest of the people.
As one of the most prominent lawmakers in the country, Senator Fatai Omotayo Buhari’s grasp of the core legislative business (from effective representation, impactful lawmaking, and transformative oversight) gave him away as a compellingly competent public servant who knows his onions, smart with his choices, and confident in delivering on tasks without breaking a sweat. As the first politician from his district to return to the red chamber not twice but three historic times, the distinguished Senator track records of performance has kept tongues wagging, surpassing the expectations of both his followers and foes, while embarking on his gubernatorial ambition with the same vision, vigor, and vitality.
Take capacity. Consistently and continuously, Senator Fatai Buhari, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation and Aerospace development, ranked among the top-performing federal legislators in the country. For instance, he is currently the most senior senator from the southwest of the country, the region with the second highest number of registered voters. That is in addition to his giant footprints in education, infrastructure, empowerment, agriculture, health, etc. In the 9th Assembly, to cite another example, Senator BAF ranked, based on the authoritative OrderPaper Nigeria, among the top senators with the most Bills to their names. Of course, that wasn’t an accidental inclusion.
It was, in effect, the outcome of years of thoughtful and careful demonstration of the three ‘Cs’: character, competence, and capacity early discussed, which have remained the parameters upon which the senator’s performance is continually being measured. Interestingly, there are numerous Bills to the Senator’s credit, but the one that established the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho, the first Federal project in a region that is bigger in size than some states of the federation but has suffered from years of neglect, stands as the hallmark of his legacy.
By virtue of his longevity in the corridors of power and profound grasp of politics and politicking, Senator Fatai Buhari’s quiet decision to run for the highest seat in Oyo State has put him under the spotlights of allies and adversaries alike. For a man who enjoyed working behind the scenes while his works speak with a cacophonous bang, that strategic decision to throw his hat into the ring of the 2027 contest has brought him under the scrutiny of the public.
However, as his public engagement spiked amid intense political dogfight, one thing has stood out: he has conducted himself with the same grace, candor, and utmost respect he’s known for. Unlike many politicians, Senator BAF has shouldered both his legislative duties and roles as a gubernatorial contender with the grit of a stoic. For those familiar with the Senator’s public service journey, one irrefutable fact continued to attract new followers while keeping old ones: the Distinguished Senator is still the same remarkably open-minded, focused, diligent, innovative, and dutiful servant-leader. That he’s a people-centered leader not only in words but in actions and interventions made him the cynosure of all eyes, not only within his senatorial district but across the nooks and crannies of the state, where his declaration for the governor of the state has received statewide support.
To echo what many have whispered in silence: the rarity and extraordinary imprints of the distinguished ‘OMOLUABI’ stem from this simple yet profound fact: SENATOR FATAI BUHARI GET THINGS DONE. Where others speak of works to be done, Senator Fatai Buhari only get things done with accurate precision. Instead of merely telling people what they want to hear, Senator Buhari actually does what they wish. He is such a proactive, adaptive, effective, and innovative public servant who knows where the shoes pinch his people and relentlessly workout to solve their challenges.
Thanks to his decisive leadership, the once-forgotten region has now become a place of focused attention. To get things done in Nigeria’s often-chaotic political arena, a leader needs more than just a mandate. Any leader worth his mettle must always work deeply, be so good that those that truly matter can’t ignore him and must prioritize asking the tough and uncomfortable questions while leading with purpose and vision. In fact, such a leader, while others are asleep, must be up at night, reflecting and rethinking his model while providing leadership where it matters: in the front lines and the backwater of his constituency. Of course, in this case, such a leader must equally wear the rope of optimism with pride. Plus, the can-do-it spirit that has come to define Nigerians at home and abroad. Anyone who has listened to the Distinguished Senator Fatai Buhari speak will marvel at his level of optimism.
While optimistic, Senator Buhari is equally grounded in the reality of his people: no matter what has been done, more can still be done. This crystal-clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities within his district has been at the heart of his stewardship and leadership. In Learned Optimism, Martin Seligman argued that optimism and pessimism are explanatory styles that define how individuals habitually explain the cases of life events to themselves, differently affecting their emotional well-being, motivation, and resilience. He categorizes responses into optimistic and pessimistic styles across three dimensions – permanence (time), pervasiveness (space), and personalization (cause).
For optimists, they view positive events through the lens of permanent, universal, and personal causes while attributing negative events as temporary, specific, and external. He argued that the pessimists often interpret their inescapable reality through the eyes of negativity. By drooling in negativity, pessimists, Seligman claimed, have provided an atmosphere where setbacks are seen as death sentences. For the Distinguished Senator Fatai Buhari, what has sustained him is his presence with the people, the rare connection that binds leaders and followers together in a mutually beneficial way. One that is considered a rarity in Nigerian politics, where leaders keep a distance from their followers once they are in power. For the Distinguished Senator Fatai Buhari, that ability to stay connected with the people in and out of politics makes a compelling case for his gubernatorial aspiration. For what is politics if it is not about the people?
