Upon his return to Sudan he was appointed in the newly establish office that overlooked the affair of the Ansar (Arabic: هيئة شئون الانصار‎). In 1984 Abdullahi was among the few politicians who Nimeiry arrested and imprisoned in Kober Prison until 6 April 1985 when Nimeiry was ousted by Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab. Swar Al-Dahab called upon the political parties to reform and elections took place a year later in 1986 and Abullahi was elected for the third time as a Member of Parliament representing the Umma Party.