Former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, has explained why he was dismissed from office in March 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to him, the dismissal was due to his refusal to publicly criticise former Senate President Bukola Saraki during a heated political campaign in Kwara State.
Abdullahi, who represented Kwara State in the Federal Executive Council under the Jonathan administration, said the decision to remove him followed rising political tension after Saraki defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the then newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Abdullahi, now the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said he was caught in a difficult position, torn between loyalty to his political mentor and expectations from the Presidency.
“There is always a price to pay because you find yourself caught in between. You are not being asked to take sides in a battle that you hardly understand most of the time,” he said.
He disclosed that ahead of President Jonathan’s campaign visit to Kwara State, he was expected, as the most senior political appointee from the state, to assume control of the PDP structure, fund party activities, and lead the campaign against Saraki.
“Why was I sacked? President Jonathan was going to Kwara to campaign and that was the time Saraki left the PDP to join the APC.”
“I was expected as the most senior political appointee from Kwara to take over the PDP structure, fund it and lead the President’s campaign,” Abdullahi said.
According to him, the political atmosphere in Kwara was largely defined by sustained attacks on Saraki, with intense pressure on him to participate.
“When we got to Kwara, everybody was attacking Saraki. I was expected as the most senior political office holder to also join and attack Saraki and I said no. So it was a matter of principle,” he added.
Despite losing his position, Abdullahi said he had no regrets about serving in the Jonathan administration, noting that he had anticipated the consequences of his decision to remain loyal to Saraki while still working under the President.
He also recalled that he previously served Saraki as Special Assistant on Communications, Special Adviser on Policy, and later as Commissioner for Education in Kwara State during Saraki’s tenure as governor.
