Gulak ‘assumes’ Leadership Of Pdp, ‘cancels’ Planned Congress Of Party

Source: thewillnigeria.com
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BEVERLY HILLS, December 31, (THEWILL) – All still seem far from well in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the then Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, yesterday assumed Chairmanship of the party, cancelling all arrangements so far made for the forthcoming congress by the Uche Secondus led PDP.

Disclosing this in a statement, Gulak's media aide, Ochuba Emmanuel, predicated his principal's action on the declarative judgment by the High Court in Abuja, on December 16, 2015, which ordered Prince Secondus to vacate office as the Acting Chairman of PDP, not later than December 29, 2015, and hand over to Gulak or any other person from the North-east zone of the country.

He said, “The Court went further to make an Order of perpetual injunction against Prince Uche Secondus, restraining him from continuing to act in the office of the National Chairman of PDP. In disobedience to the court Order, Prince Uche Secondus did not vacate office, nor hand over to the plaintiff, or any other person from the North-east zone of Nigeria.”

Emmanuel continued that a detailed letter by his counsel to INEC and BoT of PDP also specified that Gulak is now the 'authentic National Chairman' of the PDP, pending the election of a national chairman.

“Alhaji Gulak has also cancelled the congresses already scheduled by Prince Secondus, declaring it illegal as the National Executive Committee (NEC) did not meet to ratify the dates. He said new dates shall be announced in due course after a NEC meeting,” he said.

The ex-presidency official further charged all PDP members across the country to remain calm and law abiding, assuring that the party shall soon be rebranded.

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh has insisted that the change of guard was not true, saying it was impossible for Gulak to emerge as PDP national chairman without the Appeal Court delivering on the stay of execution filed by the party over the issue.

He told Daily Trust that, “We don't have a new political party. What we have is the PDP and the acting national chairman is Prince Uche Secondus. So it is not true, it is not possible and nobody can be rewarded for saying that Gulak is the new PDP national chairman. We have filed a stay of execution at the appeal court.

“There is no judgment that Gulak should be made the national chairman of the PDP. We don't expect a new PDP national chairman without NEC. With the stay of execution filed at the appeal court, you can't expect a new national chairman of the PDP now until this season is over,” he said.