Former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, has revealed that his dismissal from the cabinet of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 was linked to his refusal to publicly attack ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki during a political campaign in Kwara State.
Abdullahi, who represented Kwara State in the Federal Executive Council as Minister of Youth Development and later Minister of Sports, was relieved of his duties in March 2014. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, he said the decision followed his stance during the political crisis that erupted after Saraki defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former minister, now National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), explained that he was expected to take over the PDP structure in Kwara and lead President Jonathan’s campaign against Saraki, who had become a political opponent of the administration at the time.
According to him, during the President’s campaign visit to the state, political leaders openly criticised Saraki and he was pressured, as the most senior federal appointee from Kwara, to join the attacks. Abdullahi said he declined on grounds of principle, insisting he would not publicly abuse his former political principal.
“There is always a price to pay when you find yourself caught in the middle,” he said, adding that he chose not to take sides in a political battle he believed compromised his personal values.
Abdullahi noted that he was not surprised by his removal, saying he had anticipated the outcome after reaffirming his loyalty to Saraki while still serving in Jonathan’s government. He also stressed that he harboured no regrets about serving under the former president.
Before his appointment at the federal level, Abdullahi served under Saraki’s administration in Kwara State as Special Assistant on Communication, Special Adviser on Policy, and later Commissioner for Education.
