Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, who currently represents Oyo North Senatorial District, has officially declared that he will not seek another term in the red chamber, revealing his intention to run for governor of Oyo State in the 2027 general election.
Speaking in a recent interview with Parrot FM, an Oyo-based media platform, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart stated that his legislative journey has been rewarding but that he now desires to serve the state in an executive capacity.
“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,” Buhari said. “But what I really want to do, if God grants me, is to become the governor of Oyo State.”
The senator, who started his political career in 2003 as a member of the House of Representatives, ruled out the possibility of returning to the Senate — even if the ticket is zoned to his region.
“Even if they bring the Senate to our side again or the Oke Ogun are given another thing, I won’t come out as a senator anymore — unless it is for governor,” he said, emphasizing the need to groom new leaders for the legislative role.
Buhari’s longtime aide, Afeez Kilani, confirmed his principal’s ambition in a statements gathered by Naija24news
“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 said.
Senator Buhari’s announcement comes amid media reports of financial challenges, including a N600 million debt which allegedly led the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to take over some of his properties in Abuja — a development that may cast a shadow over his emerging gubernatorial campaign
