Sports Minister is APC Card Carrying Member

Investigations have unearthed a case of double-faced loyalty by the
current Minister of Sports and member of the President Goodluck
Jonathan’s cabinet, Bolaji Abdullahi. In the last one year, the
Honourable Minister, who was a former Commissioner in the Bukola
Saraki Administration in Kwara State wines with Jonathan’s Peoples
Democratic Party-led federal government in Abuja where he draws
salary and other emoluments in the morning and in the night he dines
with the All Progressives Congress, APC where his mentor, Senator
Saraki is a leader.
Although President Jonathan is said to be aware of this ugly
development following security reports, political watchers however
express dismay over the continued retention of the minister in the
Federal Executive Council.
In his home state Kwara for instance, Abdullahi is alleged to have
hosted several meetings of the APC in his house, but ignores
attending any meeting called by the state chapter of the PDP.
Confirming the allegation, two Ministers on the same cabinet told
Nigerian Pilot at separate interviews last weekend that the matter has
become public knowledge even among the members of the FEC.
In fact, one of the serving ministers wondered why President Jonathan
still retained Abdullahi in his cabinet when according to him; security
reports had indicted Abdullahi of what he called “double dealing,
double loyalty and unpatrioticism to the person and office of the
President”.
Apparently reacting to a recent story on the Minister of Trade and
Investment Dr. Olusegun Aganga by Nigerian Pilot, the Minister(who
pleaded anonymity) said thus: “ I wonder why you journalists,
especially your paper did not include the minister from Kwara in
charge of Sports among the moles in this administration”.
Prodded further, he said “it is common knowledge among EXCO
members that Bolaji is PDP in the day time, APC at night. He does
not openly identify with anything PDP is doing, well for obvious
reasons”, he said.
The minister’s views were corroborated by that of another key
minister from the North-East Zone who said his advice to Abdullahi
to desist from his antics failed on deaf ears.
In a related development, the sports minister has come under serious
criticisms by members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP
in the national as well as his native Kwara state chapter of the party
for alleged disloyalty and anti-party activities.
According to scores of PDP officials that volunteered to speak with
Nigerian Pilot in Abuja and Ilorin last weekend, the minister, who was
appointed into President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet in 2010,
courtesy of recommendation by erstwhile PDP governor of Kwara
state and current chieftain of opposition APC, Senator Bukola Saraki
has continued to stay away from every party functions claiming that
he is apolitical.
“In Ilorin where one of his wives lives, the minister never identifies
with PDP; in Ibadan where another of his wives lives, the same is the
case. Even in Abuja, he does not relate to PDP people” a member of
the PDP NWC said.
In his reaction, PDP Spokesperson in Kwara State, Mohammed
Mariam Alhassan, said since the party embarked on its activities in
recent times, other stakeholders serving at the federal government
have been registering their presence and support.
“Surprisingly, the Minister for Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has
never for once made his attention felt not to talk of participating in
our activities. Although, he became a Minister of the Federal Republic
under PDP-led government and the majority of the state apparatus
have since defected to APC, we still believe strongly that as a serving
minister he should be more interested in the realisation of the
transformation agenda of Mr. President.
“As for us in Kwara PDP, we don’t have anything against him, we
rather advise him to make his presence and attention felt at the state
level too as he is doing at the federal level.”
Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of Kwara APC, Alhaji Sulymon
Buhari, described the allegation as a mere attempt to tarnish the
image of the Sports Minister.
He disclosed that, “Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has said it on many
occasions that he is not a politician. I have never seen him in any
political gathering or stakeholder’s forum in Kwara state even before
the division of the PDP” he said.
Efforts made to get the Honourable Minister’s reaction proved
abortive, but his Special Adviser Media, Mr. Julius Ogunro declined
comments when asked to comment on the allegation. The telephone
interview went thus: “Good afternoon. I’m I speaking with Mr. Julis
Ogunro, S.A.Media to Hon. Minister of Sports?” “Yes”.
I am a reporter with the Nigerian Pilot Newspaper. Please can you
respond to the allegation that your boss the Hon Minister of Sports
has double loyalty, one to President Jonathan and the PDP and
second to Senator Saraki and the APC?” He kept quiet for some time
and then cut off the call. This happened on two different occasions on
his GSM number 08023648629.