By Demola Akinyemi
THE emergence of Minister of Sports, Mallam
Bolaji Abdullahi, as national publicity secretary of
the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, did not
come to many as a surprise.
Apart from coming from Kwara State, North-
Central geo-political zone where the seat is zoned
to, he is eminently qualified for the job. He
succeeded Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is also
from Kwara and has been elevated to the position
of information minister by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Since Lai Mohammed’s elevation about a year
ago, the office of APC national publicity scribe
had remained vacant until last Thursday when the
leadership of the party, at a mini-congress at the
national secretariat in Abuja decided to fill the
slot.
Abdullahi, a journalism prodigy hit the national
politics when immediate past President Goodluck
Jonathan appointed him as Youths minister and
later Sports minister.
Interestingly, Bolaji Abdullahi left indelible marks
in the two ministries. However, he was a victim
of the high-wire political battle for the re-election
of Dr Jonathan. He refused to be pitted against
Senator Bukola Saraki, his political godfather, a
decision that cost him the plum ministerial
appointment.
Popularly called Omoluabi’( a well-cultured person)
by his own people in Kwara, Abdullahi’s political
career started in 2003 when Dr Bukola Saraki
during his first term as the governor of Kwara
State appointed him as special assistant on
Communications and Strategy.
On account of his exemplary performance, Saraki,
during his second term elevated to the position of
commissioner for Education and Human
Development, where he also left indelible marks.
Before his advent into politics, Bolaji Abdullahi,
who rose to the exalted office of Deputy Editor
at ThisDay Newspapers, where he drew the
attention of the world to himself with his back
page weekly column that was a must read for
many people.
The weekly column substantially exposed his
brilliance and intelligence in analyses of burning
national issues in a witty and interesting prose.
Expectedly, the city of Ilorin, the Kwara state
capital erupted with joy, last week, when the
news of his emergence as APC spokesman
filtered in. Congratulating the new image maker
of the APC, Speaker of the Kwara State House of
Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad, described Abdullahi’s
emergence as a wise move for the party.
In a congratulatory message issued by his Special
Assistant on Media, Shuaib Abdulkadir, the
speaker stressed that Abdullahi’s choice is one of
the best things that have happened in the party.
Noting that the APC had been struggling to find a
worthy successor for Lai Mohammed, he said:
Abdullahi’s “qualities are never in doubt, and all I
can say is that the party couldn’t have selected a
better and more suitable candidate for the task
ahead. As a former commissioner for Education
in Kwara State and minister of Sports and Youths
Development, his track records are there for
everybody to see. And in fact, since he last
served, the Sports Ministry has hardly been the
same.”
The Kwara State chapter of the APC also spoke
in like manner. In a statement issued by its
Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the
party described Abdullahi as a trained journalist
and astute politician who is temperamentally fit
for his new job.
“Particularly, we welcome the decision of the
National leadership of our party which shows
utmost respect for the existing zoning
arrangement for national offices in our party. As a
former Editor of ThisDay newspaper, former
Commissioner and former Minister of great
achievements, Mallam Abdullahi is coming on
board with wealth of experience that will be
helpful in the discharge of his duties and
responsibilities as the spokesman of our party.
We have no doubt that the new spokesperson will
continue to be a good ambassador of the APC in
Nigeria,” it said.
Other leading personalities, who spoke glowingly
of Abdullahi’s appointment included Alhaji
Muhonmonu Alagbede, the chairman, Ubandawa
ki w
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