The Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial district from Oyo State, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari has revealed that he has been getting himself ready to contest for his state’s gubernatorial seat in the past 10 years.
The politician made this revelation over the weekend while speaking with PMParrot in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State.
While discussing his strength and chances of emerging at the fast approaching All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primaries in the state, Buhari said he has been working unusually hard towards his emergence as the party’s candidate.
His words “I have been taking stocks…You see, I have been carrying out what I will call shortlisting and graphing considering the educational, competence and other qualifying factors of other aspirants. I have been telling myself the truth too – this is because nobody will tell me. I know my strength. The year before the election is always turbulent. With me, there is no turbulence.
“Now, of all the aspirants, if you can tell me if any of my fellow aspirants have some of my qualities…that is: I have been to the House of Representatives in Abuja, I have been a Special Adviser to our leader and governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, I am a serving Senator and I also got my PhD over eight years ago. If the party can throw up any aspirant who matches these feats, then, I will step down and forget my governorship ambition.”
Senator Buhari also used the opportunity to identify why defection saga is always being experienced a year before national elections hold in Nigeria.
According to him “the key factor behind defection is survival. The urge to survive politically drives politicians defect from one party to the other.
“People say politicians are selfish, but I will say it here that everybody is selfish. You think of yourself first. You see, when election year approaches, you are forced to start thinking of your survival. Three things play up to determine your survival as an elected political office holder – your achievements cum performance, appreciation of your activities by your constituency and your relationship with your political party or governor or president or the authorities. All these will determine your destiny. The last one is the most important.
“I will say something here – if my great party decides not to give me a gubernatorial ticket, and still goes ahead not to give me my senatorial ticket too, I will still stay in the party. I will never go against my party.”
Packaged by Olayinka Agboola
