SENATOR BUHARI ABDULFATAI IS NO POLITICAL NOVICE: A VISIT TO TINUBU IS NOT A SURRENDER By Mógàjí Ejílùdé Alákòko

The recent visit of Senator Buhari Abdulfatai to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has generated reactions in some political circles, with some bloggers interpreting the meeting as evidence that the senator has been won over by certain political interests within the APC in Oyo State. Some have even suggested that he visited the President to collect dollars. Such interpretations reveal a troubling tendency to underestimate the political experience, convictions and independent judgment of a serving senator.

Senator Buhari Abdulfatai is not a newcomer to Nigerian politics, and his political decisions should not be reduced to the assumptions of bloggers eager to celebrate imagined victories. A visit to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should not automatically be interpreted as political submission, a financial transaction or an endorsement of every individual and interest within the ruling party.

Buhari has demonstrated his affection and support for President Tinubu’s political ambition over the years. He was among the serving senators from Yorubaland who openly supported Tinubu’s presidential aspiration. That history deserves recognition rather than being dismissed by those who appear eager to rewrite the political narrative surrounding the senator.

It is also important to remember that political relationships are often more complex than social media commentary suggests. A politician can maintain a strong personal relationship with the President while retaining independent views about party affairs, candidate selection and political alliances within his state.

In my view, Senator Buhari’s political experience deserves greater respect. He has his own political calculations, relationships and convictions. His appearance at the Presidential Villa does not mean that anybody has acquired ownership of his political decisions or can dictate his next move.

There is also the question of Oyo State politics and the circumstances surrounding the APC’s governorship calculations. Buhari was widely regarded by some supporters as a potential governorship contender, but the party’s eventual political direction reflected a different calculation. One may disagree with the outcome, but it reinforces the reality that political ambitions, party interests and personal calculations frequently intersect in complicated ways.

Now that Buhari has visited President Tinubu, some commentators appear eager to declare a political victory for those who believe they can dictate the direction of the senator’s influence. But the important question remains: does a meeting with the President automatically translate into an obligation to support every APC candidate in Oyo State, regardless of individual relationships, political history or the circumstances surrounding their emergence?

Supporting Tinubu’s re-election and supporting every other candidate on the APC platform are not necessarily the same political question. A politician may have personal reasons for supporting the President while maintaining reservations about other candidates. Whether Buhari ultimately supports particular candidates is a matter for him to determine; nobody should presume to speak on his behalf.

Let us be clear: this is not an argument against party loyalty. It is an argument for political maturity and respect for individual judgment. Loyalty to a national leader should not be turned into an instrument for intimidating politicians into unquestioning obedience to local power brokers.

Those celebrating the senator’s visit should therefore exercise restraint. Political engagement is not political surrender, and access to the President is not proof that one faction has captured another politician.

Senator Buhari Abdulfatai should be judged by his record, his decisions and his own public declarations, not by speculative interpretations of a presidential visit.

In politics, the ability to build relationships without surrendering one’s independent judgment is itself an important attribute. No serious political observer should confuse access with control or cordiality with unconditional allegiance.

The senator is an experienced political actor, not a political novice waiting for someone to teach him how to navigate the Nigerian political landscape. His next steps will speak for themselves, and those eager to interpret his every move should allow events, rather than speculation, to determine the narrative.

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