Why Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdulahi, Was Sacked
Feelers from Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, indicate that Ex Sports minister, Bolaji Abdullahi' gross disloyalty and crass impunity paved way for his sack by President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday.
Pointblanknews.com sources hinted that Abdullahi, who is seen as one of the axe men of Senator Bukola Saraki, had not hidden his disdain for Jonathan, shortly after the former Governor, his benefactor, decided to jump ship.
Saraki had led 10 other Senators from the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), to the All Progressive Congress (APC). The move had been stalled by the Senate leadership due to the legal back and forth over decamping and and the issue of seats being declared vacant.
The move had split the Saraki dynasty in half. One one side stood Ex Governor Saraki and on the other, Gbemi, Laolu and Tope Saraki.
While her elder brother tried to undermine his former party the PDP, his sister, who remains in the PDP, threw barbs at him. According to her, her brother had approached their father to dump PDP long ago on the ground that he had problem with President Jonathan and the leadership of PDP at the time but which the late Kwara political icon turned down. She said she had come on a reawakening mission saying, “the Kwara that my father brought me up to know is not this one. The one he knew and brought me up to know is a state of diverse people who are very courageous and hardworking.”
Pointblanknews.com gathered that Abdullahi, who had his body and soul in the APC, had openly fraternized with the Saraki group and the APC. Even when some of his men advised him to exit he declined.
Then came the event in Ilorin where some APC decampees joined the PDP. At that event one of the organizers, Bola Shagaya, who took down names of speakers had approached the ex sports minister but he declined insisting he was not in Ilorin to make a speech, that he only perfunctorily accompanied Jonathan there.
Meanwhile, at the same event, the Kwara PDP chairman had lambasted Abdullahi and queried his attendance, when according to the PDP leader, Abdulahi had refused to make any financial contribution towards the success of the rally. Abdulahi had responded ” i have no business with your rally”
Pointblankews.com sources further hinted that as the back and forth went on between Shagaya and Abdullahi over speech making, Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson, who was close by, overheard and jumped in.
Said the source ” Bolaji (Abdullahi) was just naive, his conduct was just unnecessary. When Bola (Shagaya) approached him he was furious, insisting he woould not be part of the speech making. Bola appealed he said no, as this was going on others , including Dickson were watching. And shortly after, Dickson approached him and another back and forth ensued”\
It was further gathered that one of those who was in the forefront of “Bolaji must go' was Gbemi. She knew all the moves by the ex sports minister because her brother was the top gun of the APC flank, so she often acquainted Abuja with how the minister was using Federal cash to fight the PDP in Kwara.
Shortly after the Ilorin event, Abdullahi headed for Atlanta for the Nigeria , Mexico game. Gbemi and co pushed that all those who witnessed the drama involving Shagaya and Abdullahi should give the President a low down and ensure he considers sacking him now.
Said the source ” The opportunity came when the President was to assign portfolios on Tuesday. Some thought he forgot he had a sports minister who was in Atlanta when he named Tamuno Danagogo as new sports minister”. When reminded Bolaji was still there , he simply waived it away and with that gesture Bolaji's reign came to and end”