‘I Knew I Was Going To Be Sacked’ – Abdullahi Speaks On Differences Between Saraki And Jonathan

The national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has said he was dismissed as a minister by former President Goodluck Jonathan because he refused to abuse ex–Senate President Bukola Saraki during a campaign in Kwara State.

Naijaonpoint reports that Abdullahi made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja at the public presentation of his memoir titled The Loyalist: A Memoir of Service and Sacrifice.

Abdullahi, who served as Minister of Youth Development and later Minister of Sports under Jonathan’s administration, was relieved of his appointment in March 2014.

He explained that his refusal to engage in personal attacks against Saraki, despite pressure during a campaign rally, led to his removal.

At the time, Saraki was governor of Kwara State; Abdullahi had served him in various capacities, as special assistant on communication, special adviser on policy, and later as commissioner for education.

While giving a vote of thanks at the event, Abdullahi said he began writing the book in 2019 to chronicle how personal relationships evolved around his principalship of Saraki.

He revealed that the book’s original title was In the Shadow of the Godfather.

He spoke candidly about his loyalty to Saraki, particularly during the period when Saraki left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC).

Abdullahi took the audience back to March 2014, when former President Jonathan visited Kwara for a campaign event. As the most senior PDP official in the state and a serving minister, Abdullahi was expected to lead and coordinate the president’s campaign efforts locally.

However, during the rally, several speakers, including governors, took turns attacking Saraki.

The former minister said his stand against the negative narrative placed him at odds with powerful interests within the party, which he believes led to his dismissal.

Abdullahi said, “Dr Saraki had just left PDP at the time to join APC, but I was still serving in President Jonathan’s cabinet.

“At that point, Dr. Saraki’s departure to APC automatically pushed me up as the highest-ranking political office holder in the state.

“But I still didn’t get it. As far as I was concerned, I was a minister of sport. So, what’s my business with anything else? I was that naive.

“So, I got to Kwara, and every single person that climbed the stage made it their duty to attack and abuse Dr Saraki and say all kinds of things about him.

“As the minister from Kwara, I was supposed to lead the campaign, so I was expected to climb the stage and also join the attack. I didn’t do it.

“I remember, Governor Liyel (of Cross River) tried to save me that day, because Governor Seriake Dickson, I forgot to send him an invitation.

“He was pushing for me to be fired. That how would a minister not lead the campaign of his boss? He’s definitely an APC mole in the government.

“Governor Liyel, I remember, went to Dr Jonathan, the president, and said, ‘the World Cup is coming. If we fire Bolaji now, we are going to do badly’

“Then I heard the other governor say to the president, ‘Na him go play the ball, we can fire him’.

“If Dr Saraki had asked me to go and start attacking President Jonathan, I would have told him I wouldn’t do it. So, in the same way, I will not go and attack Dr Saraki. Dr. Saraki has been my benefactor. He has not offended me.

“I will not be enrolled in a fight that is not mine. But I knew I was going to lose my job. And I told my wife, I said, ‘look, they are going to sack me; you guys should get ready’.

“I knew I was going to be sacked. I had told my aides.”

The former minister said he was in London for an official engagement after the campaign when he began receiving messages suggesting he had been sacked.