Former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, has revealed that his dismissal by former President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2014 was linked to his refusal to publicly attack former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Abdullahi, who initially served as Minister of Youth Development before his redeployment to the Sports Ministry, made the disclosure on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He said political pressure surrounding Saraki’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the then newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) played a key role in his removal.

“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,” Abdullahi said. “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.”

He added that the political environment during the visit was tense, with party members openly criticising Saraki, and pressure mounting on him to do the same.

“When we got to Kwara, everybody was attacking Saraki. I was expected, as the most senior political office holder, to also join in attacking Saraki, and I said no. So it was a matter of principle,” Abdullahi explained.

The former minister further noted that his stance placed him in a difficult position, caught between loyalty to Saraki and his duties in Jonathan’s cabinet.

“There is always a price to pay because you find yourself caught in between. You are being asked to take sides in a battle that you hardly understand most of the time,” he added.