A former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, has explained how his loyalty to former Governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki, cost him his job in 2014.
Speaking on Speak Your Truth, a podcast hosted by Ademola Lawrence, Abdullahi, who now serves as the interim National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), recalled the political turbulence that followed Saraki’s fallout with the leadership of the former governing party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the time.
According to him, his refusal to distance himself from Saraki’s camp, despite pressures from powerful figures within the presidency, was seen as defiance and ultimately sealed his fate.
Abdullahi further noted that while the decision was painful, it was also liberating because it tested his values and helped him understand the price of political loyalty.
He stressed that politics in Nigeria often forces individuals to choose between personal ambition and loyalty to their benefactors, but he had no regrets about standing with Saraki.
For him, the episode not only ended his tenure as minister but also reshaped his political philosophy, making him more aware of the sacrifices and risks that come with being principled in an environment where loyalty is often treated as betrayal by those outside one’s circle.
He said: “When I was Federal Minister of Sports at the time when Dr Bukola Saraki left for APC in 2014, there was this event in Kwara where I was expected to speak as the most senior political officer from the state. Everybody that was mounting the stage was condemning Saraki and all that.
“So they expected me, as the most senior member of government, to also climb and condemn, and I said no. I’m not going to condemn Saraki. He has not done anything for me. He’s been my benefactor. And I’m not going to fight anybody’s fight for them. If Dr. Saraki had asked me to condemn President Jonathan at the time, I’d have said no.
“Shortly after that, I was sacked. It is the price I paid for loyalty. At the time I was taking that decision, I knew the consequences of what I was doing. But I also knew that if you stand for something, you have to be willing to pay the price for it. So I think as far as loyalty is concerned, I’m one of the people in this country that can say I paid the price for loyalty.”
The ADC spokesperson said even though he detests the politics of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, heavyweights of the party made him powerful because they abandoned the PDP and left the burden of post-election funding solely to Wike.
According to him, many of those who now complain about Wike’s dominance were the same figures who withdrew from party activities, refused to contribute financially, and left a vacuum that the former Rivers governor was quick to fill.
His words: “I don’t like Nyesom Wike’s politics, but let’s be honest, he only became powerful because others went to sleep. PDP created a Wike by their own negligence.” Abdullahi added that politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum, and once the party’s key stakeholders retreated, the FCT Minister naturally consolidated influence by bankrolling the system.
He argued that despite zoning its presidential ticket to the South, nobody takes the PDP seriously.
He said, “It’s a desperate move because I know that PDP, even in its comatose state, still has so many experienced politicians. So, when two years to an election, they are zoning to the South, then you should ask yourself why. They are not being stupid. They know what they are doing. They know their party is already prostrate. So they need something that could energise the party.
“But they still have the Wike problem. You can see nobody is really taking this decision seriously. Because it has not changed anything. Even when you talk about PDP, people will ask you: ‘Which PDP are you talking about? Is it Wike’s PDP or Bala’s PDP?”
