PDP’s leadership war intensifies as Gulak fires back at Govs, explains why national secretary
28th Jan. 2016
The ongoing leadership tussle rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified as the self-imposed chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, fired back at the governors elected on the platform of the party.
The Nation reports that Gulak, who is the former political adviser to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, in a statement issued on Thursday, January 28, defied the directive from PDP governors asking him to allow the party’s national secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo to take over as the national chairman.
The PDP governors had initially directed the acting national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to hand over to Oladipo, after Gulak invaded the party’s secretariat on Wednesday, January 27 and installed himself as the party’s chairman.
Gulak in reaction to the governors directive, said they were misadvised to have asked Oladipo to take over as the party’s national chairman.
“This is not only contrary to the Constitution of the PDP 2012 as amended, it is in flagrant contempt of the declarative judgment given by the FCT High Court on the 16th day of December, 2015 which clearly states “that under section 47 (6) of the 1st defendant’s (PDP) constitution, upon the resignation of the former National Chairman of the 1st defendant (PDP) from office, only, the plaintiff (Alhaji Barr. Ahmed Ali Gulak) or any other eligible members of the 1st defendant (PDP) from the North-East zone of Nigeria, where the said Chairman of the 1st defendant (PDP) originated is eligible to be appointed to act in that office pending elections into that office,” he said.
The former political adviser further explained that the national secretary is prohibited by the party’s constitution to chair the National Executive Committee (NEC), the National Working Committee (NWC) and the caucuses of the PDP.
Gulak insisted that it is only the national chairman that can chair the above mentioned organs of the party.
“It is therefore clear that from the statement of the Chairman, PDP Governor’s Forum that the office of the National Chairman was vacant. And this has been cured by the pronouncement of the FCT High Court, Abuja.
“The National Chairman uses this opportunity to appeal to our teeming members nationwide to remain calm and rally round this new leadership so that peace may reign in our party and together we will reposition our party on the path of glory.
“The National Chairman of PDP has profound respect for the Chairman of the PDP Governor’s Forum and all its members,” Gulak said.
Recall that the internal feud rocking the PDP stared after Ahmed Ali Gulak, the former political adviser to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan assumed the chairmanship of the party with effect from Wednesday, December 30. The spokesman of Gulak, Ochuba Emmanuel, said the ex-political adviser had even cancelled the congress being planned by the sacked acting chairman, Uche Secondus.
The former political adviser few weeks ago, urged the PDP board of trustees to elect a new national chairman, since Uche Secondus has been asked by the court to vacate the office. He made the call after he observed that the party has no properly constituted organ and no national chairman or acting chairman.
Gulak, who seems to be deliberately stepping on toes had earlier stated that former president Goodluck Jonathan, cannot escape culpability in the ongoing investigation on how $2.1 billion arms deal fund was spent.
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