Gulak Denies Defecting To APC, Says No Plan To Leave PDP

ahmed-gulak

Immediate past Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak has denied dumping the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Reports during the week had listed Gulak as one of the PDP bigwigs that left the party following the loss of President Goodluck Jonathan at the March 28 presidential election. However, the former presidential aide, in an interview with Vanguard, said he has never contemplated any such thing.

“I have not defected to the APC and I will never defect to the party. PDP is my party, not only will I continue to remain in PDP but I will also serve PDP with all amount of commitment and loyalty,” he said.

Gulak said the recent mass defection has confirmed what he had always pointed out about some members were opportunists, saboteurs and destroyers. He said he warned the president about them as his political adviser but he can understand his inaction. “…the president is a human being too.”

Speaking further, Gulak described Jonathan as the hero of Nigeria’s democracy for conceding defeat to Muhammadu Buhari despite the glaring irregularities in the polls.

“I am saying so because he gladly conceded defeat even in the face of glaring irregularity during the election. I want to say that Mr. President is a victim of the failure of the card reader machines deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission. It was really a shame and national embarrassment.

“The election became anything but credible once INEC decided that card readers should be used along with manual accreditation. You can see that under age voters were allowed to vote and massive thump printing and ballot stuffing became the order of the day in many places thereby leaving some questions marks on the integrity of the polls. But in spite of these irregularities, the president accepted defeat and that is why he has emerged as the hero of democracy in Nigeria and Africa. That is why I call on African leaders to emulate him,” Gulak said.

On why he will not leave the PDP, the former presidential aide said: “For me, there have been challenges on my way but having sat down to think, I will sit down in the party with like minds and rebuild the party under the leadership of Goodluck Jonathan, our leader, and give the APC government a run for their money as an alternative and credible opposition.”