Why Gulak was sacked by Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday relieved his special adviser on political matters, Alhaji Ahmed Ali Gulak, of his appointment. No reason was given for the president’s action in the terse press statement by presidential spokesman Dr Reuben Abati.

But LEADERSHIP gathered from impeccable sources that the former presidential aide was a victim of power play, even as he had stepped on some powerful toes in the corridors of power. Specifically, governors elected on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party were said to have played a fast one to ease Gulak out of office.

Abati’s statement reads: “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has terminated the appointment of his Special Adviser (Political), Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, with immediate effect.

“President Jonathan thanks Alhaji Gulak for his services to the present Administration and wishes him success in his future endeavours. A replacement for Alhaji Gulak will be announced in due course.”

Regardless of the silence on the reason for Gulak’s sack, a source confided in our correspondent that the governors as well as some influential members of the PDP elite caucus, the Board of Trustees (BoT), were said to have insisted on the removal of Gulak. The source said the move had been on for some time.

“It is true; the man had to go because there have been so many unpleasant reports about him and things cannot be allowed to go on this way, especially when we are approaching a crucial moment of our political life.

“With regards to the reason for the president’s action, I am not the president neither am I his spokesman; but from the little I could deduce from the president’s action, the man (president) may have succumbed to the pressure of the PDP governors who have been complaining for a long time about the activities of Gulak, especially his utterances which have been very indecorous to the embarrassment of even the president at times.

“The matter was even raised at the last meeting the president had with the PDP governors and that may have been the real reason for Gulak’s exit, because some governors on the party’s platform were very bitter that Gulak was becoming too involved in internal state politics. You know that the struggle for political space can take form,” he said.

Jonathan’s decision to sack his political adviser is coming barely a week after his face-off with the Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, as well as the state chapter of the PDP.

After a recent party meeting in Uyo, Akpabio and the state executive of the party had condemned Gulak’s visit “to inaugurate a sectional and unknown Jonathan’s Support Group without bothering to pay any courtesies to the state leadership of the party”.

The party accused the Gulak of playing “ignoble and contemptuous role” in the affairs of the party in the state and warned him to desist from further interfering in the affairs of the PDP in Akwa Ibom.

Besides, the Akwa Ibom Jonathan Support Group which Gulak went to inaugurate is made up of those opposed to Governor Akpabio who is also a close ally of President Jonathan. Akpabio, according to reports, reported Gulak to the president.

Source: Leadership