A former Minister of Youth Development and Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, has revealed that his appointment into the Federal Executive Council by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan came without any prior personal connection between them.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Abdullahi shared this in his memoir, The Loyalist, set to be publicly unveiled on Tuesday.

The 297-page book chronicles his two-decade journey in Nigerian politics, offering insights into governance at both state and federal levels, while reflecting on the personal costs of political loyalty.

According to Abdullahi, his ministerial appointment followed his tenure as Commissioner for Education in Kwara State. He was among eight nominees submitted to President Jonathan from the state and emphasized that he had no personal relationship with the president prior to the appointment.

He acknowledged, however, that his close political ties with Kwara State leadership helped secure the nomination. Abdullahi had served under former Governor Bukola Saraki, first as a special assistant in 2003 and later as commissioner from 2007. Saraki had just completed his second term as governor, succeeded by Abdulfatah Ahmed, another former commissioner.

Abdullahi noted that the appointment, largely to meet constitutional requirements, placed him in a politically tense environment.

“For most of my time as minister, I felt like a man on death row who did not know when his executioner would come,” he wrote, recalling being listed among ministers expected to be dismissed on September 11, 2013. Though he survived that purge, he was eventually removed from office on March 5, 2014, a departure he linked to the political battle between Jonathan and Saraki, who was then a senator.

Saraki’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the newly formed All Progressives Congress, along with 11 senators and five governors, dealt a major blow to Jonathan’s re-election prospects. As a known Saraki loyalist in Jonathan’s cabinet, Abdullahi became a target of suspicion, even among colleagues.

“Since my appointment, I had organised myself in such a way that I would not require much time to move out,” he wrote, adding, “I never planned for anything beyond a four-month cycle.” He also prepared his family and aides for a sudden exit, aware that ministerial positions are at the president’s discretion.

Initially viewing himself as a technocrat rather than a politician—a perspective encouraged by Saraki—Abdullahi later realized that ministerial roles are inherently political, especially as elections approach. Saraki’s defection forced him into a moral dilemma: renounce his mentor to prove loyalty to Jonathan or remain loyal to Saraki and risk his job.

“At that point, only a total disavowal of Saraki could have saved me,” Abdullahi wrote, “but that would have also meant renouncing the very principles my father taught me were more important than all the riches in the world.” He described himself as “the grass suffering while two elephants fought.”

Abdullahi avoided discussing Saraki’s defection directly with Jonathan, fearing it might force him to take sides or be misinterpreted as political manoeuvring. He noted that Jonathan had little tolerance for perceived treachery, even if committed in his service.

Conversely, Abdullahi felt he could discuss the matter with Saraki, but carefully avoided revealing how the senator’s conflict with Jonathan had personally affected him. He recalled, “I knew he could be very suspicious and even distrustful.”