Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and current representative of Oyo North in the National Assembly, has officially declared his intention to contest for the governorship of Oyo State in the 2027 general election.
Speaking in an interview with Parrot FM, an Oyo-based media outlet, Buhari said he is drawing the curtain on his legislative career to pursue his long-held dream of leading the state’s executive arm.
“This is the third time I would be a senator and the fourth time I would go to the national assembly. I’m a core legislator. I’ve tried,” he stated. “But what I really want to do, if God grants me, is to become the governor of Oyo State.”
Buhari dismissed any possibility of returning to the red chamber, even if his senatorial district is favored in the party’s zoning arrangement. “Even if they bring the senate to our side again or and the Oke Ogun are given another thing, I won’t come out as a senator anymore — unless it is for governor,” he emphasized. “Let another person do it. We will train some of those coming behind us to contest. We will train him, and he will excel.”
Confirming the senator’s ambition, his senior legislative aide, Afeez Kilani, said Buhari’s decision reflects the will of the people. “For clarification, he said the people in Oyo State want him to contest for the governorship in 2027. Having served for three terms as senator, they feel he is qualified to be governor,” Kilani told TheCable on Sunday.
Buhari’s political journey began in 2003 when he was elected into the House of Representatives to represent Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South, and Oriire federal constituency. Over two decades later, he appears poised to take the next big step in his career.
His declaration adds to the growing list of APC leaders eyeing the 2027 gubernatorial race, setting the stage for what could be a fiercely contested political season in Oyo State.
