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.

Abdullahi

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 ward, Ilorin West Local Council where Mallam Abdulahi comes from and  a chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje.

Alhaji Baraje in a statement issued from his media office in Ilorin, said the former minister is embodied with good qualities that qualify him for the post, adding that the party needs a technocrat and versatile journalist like Abdullahi for the post.