Raising The Bar Of Legislative Representation: Sen Abdulfatai Buhari’s Contributions !! By Barr Waheed O Lawal

Raising The Bar Of Legislative Representation: Sen Abdulfatai Buhari’s Contributions !! By Barr Waheed O Lawal.

There are senators and there are distinguished senators. In the Oyo North Senatorial District of Oyo State, there is one Distinguished Senator, his name is Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari PhD. He hails from Ibapon, Ogbomosho and he is the senator representing the Oyo North at the upper Chambers of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The 2nd term Senator is spending the 3rd term in the National Assembly having represented Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South and Oriire Federal Constituencies 2003-2007.

He is the first senator to win a second term election to the Senate from Oyo North because of his outstanding qualities, superlative performances and unprecedented constituency projects which impact positively on the lives of those who gave him the mandate.

I challenge any fact finding team to take a tour and make a fact finding mission to Oyo North and compare the projects Sen. Buhari facilitated to that senatorial district. Yes, people may say that it’s because he is the second termer. That’s true. But even as a first termer, he performed excellently well both in his legislative assignments and constituency projects such that he was given several appellation and beautiful nicknames because he hardly takes awards and doesn’t take chieftaincies since he is a prince of Ibapon, Ogbomosho. The names given to him include “Omoluabi”, “Babaluabi”, “Mr. Performer”, “Mr. Projects”, “Alaanu Mekunnu”, “People’s Senator”. All these translated to mean a man of integrity, kind-hearted person, an achiever and man of the people.

Honestly, Sen Buhari has raised the bar of legislative representation that will be very difficult for the incoming senator to surpass unless the person is highly selfless, seriously determined, God-fearing and he is lucky to be reelected like Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari.

I’m afraid, whoever wants to take over from Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari should have a rethink and be prayerful for the patience, understanding and cooperation of the people not to judge him with the standard of Sen. Buhari so that if within the four years they did not feel the effect of that person’s representation.

My good people of conscience, let us say the truth and shame the devil, Sen Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari has raised
the bar. He has set a high standard, tougher goals, higher rules of engagement and raised expectations.

As a matter of fact whoever wants to succeed should lower his ego and do away with town or parochial sentiments to make him a friend and a consultant.

It’s not all that easy to lead or to represent people and be appreciated. But in the case of Sen. Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari, I can confidently say that the people of Oyo North sincerely appreciate him. I’m equally aware of those who wish Senator Buhari was from their senatorial district and those who wished they could swap him.

I don’t mind all these statements being used against me. I know I have spoken my mind, I have spoken what I have seen and heard and my conscience tells me I’m speaking the truth. I am concerned only with what is open , manifest and verifiable. As for the hidden and private life of Sen.Buhari and how others who are not comfortable with him perceive him, I live that to God Almighty Allah. Wherever I’m wrong and have exaggerated unintentionally, may Allah forgive me.

To set a standard is not easy, neither is to raise the bar of anything. When the history of Oyo North is been rewritten, I’m confident that Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari will occupy at least a chapter. Posterity will judge him well.

Let it be on record that yours truly attests to it that Sen. Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari Ph.D is distinguished in every sense of it. I hold him as a model of legislative representation and I have no apology to recommend his style and model of legislative representation to the prospective members of national assembly in Oyo State, particularly my good people of Okeogun.

I’m proud of the quintessential Senator Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari for so many reasons, chief among which is God-fearing nature and his consciousness of the day of accountability and judgement. He highly respects Muslims scholars ( Alfas and Omo kewu) and also rever the christian clergy men without discrimination.

It’s not about sentiments, percuniary gains or personal likeness, it’s about seeing the truth, saying the truth and standing by the truth. I have seen , heard and interviewed those he helped directly.

I have had the privileges of not only witnessing his generosity and kindness to people and organisations, some of which I facilitated. Conscience will worry me and Allah may not forgive me if I fail to say it. In my decade of interaction with politicians, there are others who might have done something or even more, but the one that I score high is Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari. Allah is my witness.

I am a member of APC. I campaigned and voted for Buhari/Osinbajo first and second term. I campaigned for second term of Ajimobi and Adebayo Adelabu. I voted for Sen Buhari in his first and second term. In 2019 when he wanted to take a shot at the governorship, I told him point blank that I would not support him because I was a pro Okeogun for Governor Campaigner. He never took offence and he continued to be nice to me. How many politicians know that you don’t make one an enemy simply because he is not with you today? The variables are not constant. The one who is not supporting you when you are an aspirant may be your director general or campaigner after you have secured ticket. Even before the day of election, your opponent or supporter of your opponent can change to be your chief canvasser or chief campaigner.

As much as I love Okeogun and would want a Governor to come from my area, I will not blindly and sentimentally support just anybody. A gubernatorial aspirant from Okeogun must convince me he has capacity to deliver, to manage people , to manage success and exhibit the best in times of human relations, emotions, maturity and leadership.

I’m ready to line up and work with my utmost sincerity for any Okeogun governorship candidate based on my conviction and favourable political permutations.

I’m not from the Ogbomosho town where the Omoluabi Senator hails from. I have resolved within my heart that higher factor and not premordial sentiments will determine which party or person to vote for in 2023.

If you say senator Buhari is a God fearing man and man of humility, people may argue that these are not empirical. But what about the verifiable constituency and empowerment programs that are dazzling, enviable and beneficial to the people of Oyo North Senatorial District which this man has facilitated, executed and commissioned?

I have conscience and I will continue to speak out my mind. If at 58 I’m still being cowed or succumbing to bully or insults over my choice, it shows I don’t know what I’m doing.

I have never been desperate for anything in life and I also cherish any person who is not desperate. I have not seen any sign of desperation in Sen Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari.

Imagine a governorship aspirant reminding you all the time to trust in Allah. He would remind his followers that the current mandate he holds is not by his wisdom or might. When some aspirants are moving about and running helter-skelter for structures of party, going from one spiritual shop to spiritual merchants, all he would do is to ask you “who knows what will happen tomorrow?.

Three things or qualities determine who is a good friend, companion or associate. According to the holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in an Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah ( RA).

i. Appearance must remind you of Allah (God).
ii. His speech or contributions must increase you in knowledge.

iii. His behaviour must remind you of accountability and judgement.

In Senator Buhari, you gain all these. You feel ashamed eating when he is fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.

You open your mouth wide to hear him asking people “if I diverted constituency projects or sell job slots, will you defend me on the day of accountability and judgement?”.

An average politician loves power. Sen Buhari is not an exception because he is a human being. But he takes life simple. He is very simple, humble and accessible than most politicians that I know. Your experience and results may differ from mine.

Yes, I’m closer to him and he has been extremely kind and generous. He hates being flattered. He does or says something in your presence and asks you “did I say it well?”, “did I do well?”, “hope I didn’t fumble?”. That’s is muhasaba principle.

He practises consultations (shurah). He listens and bows to superior argument. Imagine a serving senator leaving his good but not flashy or exotic car to join a rickety car of a member of his entourage. How many elected officers do that? You are on a journey and there is a flat tyre and he rolls his shirt and trousers to help you jack and remove the tyres.

He rode in another person’s car and the fuel got exhausted at the entrance of a filling station in the major street of Ibadan and helped push the car without minding him being photographed or video recorded.

Tawakkul is having absolute trust in Allah. His degree of trust in Allah is very high. It’s one of the virtues of a pious Muslim. Any way, one who fasts Mondays and Thursdays and observes solat as and when due and performs Umrah regularly cannot but have tawakkul, contentment and tranquility in his heart.

Imagine someone being threatened with defeat and a prophesy that he would come 4th position in an election unless certain things were done to bring him to the 1st position and he politely told the “fake prophet or clergy” that he preferred coming 4th in the election. To God be the glory, he came 1st.

Sen. Buhari seeks advice from his driver and treats every member of his group like a kitchen cabinet. He smiles, laughs and crack jokes. Sometimes when he is in the midst of his followers, he takes and eats what they eat except he is fasting. He must have imbibed that culture from Islam, then his orientation in Ghana and association with Northerners.

Yours truly has moved with several politicians within and outside Oyo state, Senator Buhari is an extra ordinary politician.

Another quintessential woman in politics is Oloye Jumoke Akinjide. She is far better than most male politicians. She is a very exemplary woman in politics. If not because our politics is not yet ripe for Woman Governor in Oyo State, she is one woman that would have added more value and bring more benefits to our state.

I have never been known to be a sycophant. My school mates, colleagues and even political associates with whom I served in PDP are alive. They do say that I’m too blunt and undiplomatic, an attribute they often term as not being too good for politics and this perhaps is responsible for my not having made a breakthrough in politics. I have no regret. I put all my hope in Allah.

Today, the politician I admire most in Oyo State is Sen. Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari. My conscience tells me he is. I have always admired and loved him even before he discovered me.

People should know that not everything is money. People want to be around someone who respects, appreciates and honours them. We are talking about good human relations. You want to hear good comments about one you associate with.

An average good politician will like to associate , support and mobilise for a politician that is presentable, marketable and accessible to the common people. A politician or political party is always willing to present a candidate that can win election. Sen Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari is that kind of politician.

Imagine former Gov Ajimobi or the APC telling Sen. Buhari at the presentation of senatorial ticket to him for winning the APC senatorial primaries for Oyo North Senatorial that “although you have won the senatorial primaries, but this ticket would be given to you in trust only and to be kept for Otunba Akala in case he made up his mind to accept our overtures to contest for senatorial election 2015”. Sen Buhari did not argue or threaten brimstone and fire. He accepted the party decision with equanimity and went away to beg God who is the one who endorses, enthrones and dethrones. Allah answered his prayers, and Governor Akala declined interest in the senatorial election. Hon Abdulfatai Buhari (as he then was) contested, won and became a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria.

The second term was also similar. He performed excellently well and merited the second term and actually won the senatorial primaries in 2018. He was also told, his ticket would be used to beg Gov. Akala so that he would not contest and jeopardize the APC chances of winning the 2019 gubernatorial election. Again, Akala insisted on contesting for governorship, hence the ticket was used by Sen. Buhari. He contested and won for the second term.

Mr. Biodun Ladepo, a thoroughbred man of the pen and a social critic/analyst hardly praised any serving elected politician. For him to admire and lavish praises on Sen Abdulfatai Buhari, I have no doubt in my mind that he has done the due diligence and exploited investigative journalism to unravel the identity and performances of the man called ‘Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari’.

Let me stop here because a book is coming on the way to chronicle the achievements and superlative performances of the Harvard trained leader, Senator Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari.

I’m Abdul Waheed O Lawal, a lawyer and a political activist based in Ibadan.
wolawal@yahoo.com.