Gulak declares self PDP National Chairman
(Nigeria)The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, on Wednesday took a new dimension as Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, the former
Special Assistant to President Good Luck Jonathan on Political Matters declared
himself as PDP National Chairman.
Gulak, who arrived at the PDP national headquarters, Abuja,
at about 1.45 p.m. immediately addressed a news conference and announced that
he had assumed the position of the party's national Chairman.
He said that his assumption of office was to complete the
tenure of Dr Adamu Muazu, from the North East, who resigned his position as the
national Chairman of the party on May 20, 2015.
Gulak said his assumption was in accordance with the an FCT
Federal High Court's judgment on December 16, 2015.
Gulak had late 2015 approached the court to order the party
to appoint somebody from the North East to complete Muazu's tenure.
He also urged the court to stop Prince Uche Secondus, from
parading himself as the acting National Chairman of the party.
Gulak said that the court had on Wednesday struck out the
motion for stay of executives filed by the defendants/applicants.
"The court order on Dec. 16, 2015 was that within 14
days, my humble self or any other person from the North East zone be appointed
to replace Dr Adamu Muazu who resigned his position as the national Chairman of
our party on May 20, 2015.
"At the expiration of the 14 days the defendants
failed, refused or neglected to obey the court orders by appointing me or any
other person from the North East zone.
"By operations of the law and the court order, I now
assume duty as the National Chairman of our great party, especially as the
court has today struck out the motion for stay of execution.
"Base on our sincere commitment and loyalty to our
party, we cannot continue to leave our party headless," Gulak said.
He said failure to assume duty as the national chairman would
leave the party's National Working Committee, the National Executive Council, NEC
and the National Caucus improperly constituted.
He said that his assumption of office was to prepare the
ground for the NEC of the party to take the most appropriate decisions.
Gulak said that his leadership was willing to partner with
all relevant stakeholders on efforts towards the tasks ahead.
"I crave the indulgence of the other NWC members to
partner positively with me in our efforts to pick up the pieces and rebuild our
party."
Some of the party's loyalists who accompanied Gulak to the
party Secretariat include Dr Doyin Okupe, the former Special Assistant to
Jonathan on Public Affairs and Mr Moshoud Adegoke a former member of the House
of Representatives from Lagos State.
Reacting to the development, the PDP National Legal Adviser,
Mr Victor Kwon, condemned the action of Gulak.
Kwon said that what the court order was for the party to
appoint someone from the North East to complete Alhaji Mu'azu's tenure and not
specifically Gulak.
He added that the party was not aware of any ruling by the
court on its application for a stay of execution of the earlier judgment.
Kwon added as a law abiding party, PDP would respect the
orders of the court and the right of the North East to complete its tenure.
"From what happened, today, it means that Gulak is a
fifth columnist recruited to tear the party and he will not succeed. Consultations
are going on to arrive at an agreeable for person from the North East.
"NEC will be convened soon and new National Chairman
appointed. So I advice Gulak, if he is interested to be National Chairman to
lobby," he added.
Kwon blamed the delay in appointing someone from the North
East to serve out Mu'azu's tenure on series of events that followed after the
2015 general elections.
He, however, added that section 47 (6) of the PDP
constitution does not prescribe time limit for an acting capacity.
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