Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of theAfrican Democratic Party (ADC), says former President Goodluck Jonathan almostsacked him as sports minister following the late Stephen Keshi’s suddenresignation after Nigeria won the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in SouthAfrica. Abdullahi revealed this in his new book, The Loyalist,saying the former president believed he was acting on the agenda of ex-SenatePresident Bukola Saraki. In chapter eight of the book, titled Winner stands alone,the former minister recalled the intense moments that followed the SuperEagles’ triumph under the late Keshi, who became the first Nigerian to win thetitle both as a player and as a coach. Abdullahi said he was heading to the airport inJohannesburg, basking in the euphoria of the victory, when his driver suddenlyasked him why Keshi had resigned. “This was my last night in South Africa. The next day, Iwould return to Nigeria a hero. Of 31 ministers of sports since independence,only two had achieved what I had just achieved,” Abdullahi wrote. He said he dismissed the claim that the coach had resigned. “Keshi did not resign. “I don’t think you know what you aretalking about. Just drive,” he said, responding indignantly. The former minister said a news report on the car stereoconfirmed the development. “Keshi had resigned as the national team coach a few minutesafter leading Nigeria to Africa Cup of Nations victory,” Abdullahi quoted thereport as saying. According to Abdullahi, the development left him shocked andconfused, prompting him to ask the driver to return to his hotel. “It could not be true,” he recalled thinking. He said Waziri Adio, a friend, also called from Nigeria toask about Keshi’s resignation and the plan to hire former Barcelona coach FrankRijkaard. “Well, we heard that Keshi has resigned. That you wanted tosack him, so he decided to resign,” Abdullahi quoted Waziri as saying. “They said you want to bring Rijkaard.” Abdullahi said Stella Oduah, who was the minister ofaviation at the time, later called him and revealed that the president believedhe was carrying out former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s agenda with Keshi’salleged sack. “They told the president that you engineered the sacking ofKeshi to cause a crisis so that the president would not be able to take fullbenefit from the victory,” Abdullahi quoted Oduah as saying. “They said you were carrying out a Saraki agenda,” sheadded. THE MEETING WITH KESHIHe recalled seeking the intervention of Mike Itemuagbor, asports marketer, who, according to him, had helped him gain considerableinsight into the inner workings of the football federation, to tell him aboutthe real situation with Keshi. Abdullahi said Itemuagbor he had already boarded a plane toLagos, but he pleaded with him to disembark and meet him at his hotel. “Mike, you cannot go with that flight. You have to come out.Please, please, you have to come down,” he said. Abdullahi said when Itemuagbor came at 2am, he was with YoboJoseph, the team captain, and Keshi. He said Keshi looked unsettled, “like a petulant child whohad lit a small fire but now had a conflagration in his hands.” He recalled confronting the late coach over his decision. “Coach, is it true? That you have resigned?” he asked. “It is true,” Keshi answered while avoiding eye contact. Iam not happy with you,” I said. “Well, I am not happy with you too,” he said, and turned toface me as if ready for a fight. “But why? Why are you not happy with me?” I asked. ‘I heard you wanted to sack me. That you were planning tohire a foreign coach even in the middle of a competition.” “Really! Is that all?” I asked. “It is clear you and the Federation don’t believe in me.Before our match against Côte d’Ivoire, they booked our flight to Abuja becausethey thought we were going to lose that game.” “Coach, forget that I am your minister. You are seven yearsolder than me. You are 51. You mean you could take such a serious decisionbased on mere rumours? Do you even have an idea how much confusion your actionhas caused? “When did you hear this thing about me planning to sack you?And many times, have you seen me since then?” He added that with the intervention of the sports marketer,Abdullahi said they all agreed that the only way out was for Keshi to withdrawhis resignation. “The only thing is for Coach to withdraw the resignation,’ Isaid. Keshi started to protest. His reputation would be affected if he withdrewthe resignation only hours after announcing it,” he wrote. Abdullahi said Oduah later confided in him that thepresident would have sacked him the following morning if he had not gottenKeshi to withdraw his resignation. “I believed her. Someone also revealed to me much later thatit had actually been decided that I should be sacked, but the president onlychanged his mind after it was pointed out to him that the story of my sackingmight overshadow, or at least, dilute the victory,” he said. “Still, I found it incredulous that the president woul
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