I am dead serious. Something is deeply wrong with Senator Fatai Buhari, the distinguished lawmaker representing Oyo North Senatorial District. I had always assumed that he was a normal Nigerian politician—a complete human being with personal ambitions, calculated plans, and the natural capacity to become bitter when things fail to go his way. But after watching him passionately discuss the traumatic Oriire kidnapping crisis, I have been forced to reconsider. How can a politician who has just suffered a major disappointment in Oyo State politics still speak with such concern about his constituents?
How can he discuss their rescue, rehabilitation, security, and future as though nothing had happened to his own governorship ambition? Is he not supposed to be sulking in his political cocoon? Is he not supposed to switch off his phone, close his doors, and tell everyone to “go and meet those who defeated me”? Honestly, Senator Fatai Buhari is not behaving normally.
A Defeated Leader in Oyo State Politics Refuses to Sour
Let us be sincere with ourselves. Senator Fatai Buhari recently sought the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State. He offered himself to become the party’s candidate, but the contest did not end in his favour. He was defeated. Ordinarily, that should have provoked a respectable season of political mourning.
A normal politician would disappear. He would stop attending crucial meetings, refuse to answer phone calls, and instruct his supporters to start insulting everyone on social media. He would suddenly recall all the injustices committed against him since primary school. Some would even wait quietly for something terrible to happen just to say:
“Serves them right. They refused to give me the ticket.”
But Senator Fatai Buhari refused to behave like a proper victim. Instead of nursing his disappointment, he returned to the business of representing Oyo North Senatorial District. Instead of embracing bitterness, he embraced responsibility. Instead of asking who supported him during the primary, he asked what could be done to rescue innocent children and teachers from captivity. Something is certainly wrong with him.
Why Did He Not Abandon the Oriire Kidnapping Crisis?
The abductions happened in Oriire Local Government Area. This is an area within the Oyo North Senatorial District. But that should not have mattered to him after losing the gubernatorial ticket in the high-stakes arena of Oyo State politics.
Once a politician loses a contest, the people usually lose access to him. That is the standard rule. Once his ambition is frustrated, public service is suspended. Senator Buhari should have folded his arms and said: “You rejected my governorship ambition. Let your preferred candidate rescue the victims.
But he did not. He remained on the ground. He raised the matter in the Senate, engaged the relevant authorities, and kept public attention focused on the plight of the victims. When they regained their freedom after 56 days, he did not rush to claim that he personally entered the forest and carried everyone home. Instead, he acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, the military, the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), Amotekun, local vigilantes, and hunters. What kind of politician shares credit?
Rebuilding Lives After the Trauma
One would have expected Senator Fatai Buhari to stop once the victims were released. The cameras had captured the celebration, and the political mileage had been secured. But he immediately began talking about rehabilitation. He demanded medical care, psychological support, and recovery programmes for the families to heal from the trauma. He raised questions about the security of schools in rural communities, advocating for stronger intelligence gathering and perimeter fencing.
Must you think beyond the television interview, Senator? Must you insist that freedom from captivity is only the beginning of recovery? This is not his first time refusing to respond normally to disappointment. At the beginning of the Tenth Senate, he had a strong claim to be Senate Majority Leader. He was returning for a third term, yet the position went to another.
He had every reason to feel disappointed. He should have refused to attend plenary or sat in the chamber with a long face. But what did this strange man do? The following day, he was actively participating, moving motions and making contributions. He simply returned to work.
A Redefined Mandate for Oyo North Senatorial District
Senator Fatai Buhari is now serving his third term in the Senate. By now, he should have mastered the art of political distance. His office should only remember the people during election seasons. Yet, reports from across Oyo North Senatorial District present a different picture. Over the years, he has been associated with interventions in education, healthcare, water supply, and rural electrification.
He seems to believe that representation is not merely about speaking grammar in Abuja, but remaining connected to the people. When his gubernatorial aspiration failed, he continued serving. When kidnappers invaded, he did not ask which faction the parents supported. He responded as their senator.
In a political environment where bitterness is often mistaken for courage and selfishness is packaged as principle, Senator Fatai Buhari has committed an unforgivable offence: he has chosen to remain faithful to his people. This is not how some politicians behave. But this is exactly how responsible leadership should behave.
