Ahmed Gulak was the immediate past Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matter and presently a governorship aspirant in Adamawa state. In this interview, Gulak speaks on his ambition and the political maneuvering in the state. Besides, the ex-presidential aide also talks on Nuhu Ribadu’s defection to PDP. SAMUEL OGIDAN reports
Why are you at the PDP national secretariat?
I am here today to pick the PDP nomination form and expression of interest form for the governorship primary election in Adamawa state beginning with the ward congresses on the 1st of September and culminating on the state congress where a candidate will be picked by transparent, free and fair primary election by the delegates on the 6th September, 2014. I have picked the forms and in accordance with the guidelines, I will go back to my state and fill the forms and return the forms on the 20th of this month.
I am going to participate in the exercise in the build up to the governorship bye-election in Adamawa state scheduled to take place on the 11th of October, 2014 because when the former governor was impeached on the 15th and the Speaker was sworn-in as acting governor on the 15th of July, by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), election shall hold within 90 days and by 15 of October a new democratically elected governor will be sworn-in in Adamawa state.
I believe we in the PDP we will conduct ourselves as matured democrats unlike other opposition parties. Level playing ground has been promised all the aspirants and the least anybody can give Adamawa people today is their right to make their own choice both within the party and at the general election and Adamawa people will speak just like the Ekiti people and Osun people spoke. Adamawa people will be the next to speak democratically.
It is customary in PDP for leaders to decide on consensus rather than going into primaries. If the party leaders settle for consensus to pick the governorship candidate would you accept it?
The issue is that I am a democrat, I am a lawyer by profession and I abide with the provisions of the Constitution. The Constitution of our party is clear about that. First, you do the Ward congresses to elect the three ad-hoc delegates in the Wards, then there is going to be primary election among the aspirants. That is what our constitution says, but if for any other reason leaders come up to say we should come up with one person or reduce the number through consensus, it is part of democracy. It is consensus where minds meet but it must be based on justice and fair play in accordance with the spirit of the constitution.
The former deputy governor of Adamawa state is in court challenging his alleged resignation, saying it did not go through the proper channel. Will this scenario not affect your aspiration?
On the resignation of Ngilari, the law is very clear. It is the intention of whatever act you do that matters most and not the technicalities. Ngilari is a lawyer of high repute and he is about 35 years post-call at the bar and he ought to know what steps to take in order to effect his resignation. If he knew, and which I assume he ought to have known as a lawyer, that his resignation was to be sent to the governor and not to the House of Assembly, yet he forwarded his resignation to the House of Assembly and not to the governor, then there is an element of fraud. He cannot benefit from his illegal act. The intention and the spirit is what the law looks at. Secondly, having resigned, he is entitled to go to court whether he gets what he gets from the court or not is for judicial interpretation. Nobody has any right to pronounce whether that resignation was right or wrong until the court decides since the matter has been subjected to the court interpretation. But be that as it may, the law is very clear, that it is the intention that the law looks at. What was his intention of writing that resignation letter- the intention by a mind that is not intoxicated, by a mind that was clear was to drop out and to resign from being deputy governor of Adamawa state. The law will look at it from the facts and from the intention and the law will always sideline technicalities. But like I said, if he knew his resignation was inappropriate, the law will say that you cannot benefit from your illegal act.
On the former EFCC chairman, Ribadu joining PDP and seeking the party’s ticket
Nuhu Ribadu is a friend and a brother, we have come a long way. Nuhu Ribadu, you will vividly remember, was a presidential candidate under the ACN in 2011 and when there was this merger of opposition parties to form APC, Nuhu Ribadu was in the vanguard of the merger talks. He was part and parcel of APC and he is still part and parcel of APC. Up to this moment I am talking to you Nuhu Ribadu has not come out to say he has decamped from APC to PDP but if he decides to summersault and eat his words then he is welcome to PDP. I can remember on their visit to Buhari with their APC juggernauts, people like Ahmed Bola Tinubu, people like Lai Mohammed, people like Nuhu Ribadu, people like Nasir El-Rufai; Nuhu Ribadu was interviewed by a radio in Kaduna and he said and I quote “even for free presidential ticket, I can never join PDP.” If he decides to eat his words, he is welcome. Our party is always opened for everybody, whether you are from APC, APGA, PPA, whatever party you may call yourself. If you decide to jump ship and join PDP you are welcome. Nuhu Ribadu is welcome anytime, any day but let me assure you that whether you are in APC or PDP it is the people that will select and elect their governor, that will select and elect their president, that will select and elect their senators, House of Representatives , local government chairmen. Nobody sits somewhere to decide for the people who become their governor. The people you know spoke in Anambra state; the people you know spoke in Edo state; the people you know spoke Ekiti state; the people you know spoke in Osun state and Adamawa people will be allowed to speak.
