Coup in PDP as Gulak ‘sacks’ Secondus ……. SUN

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THE leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension yesterday as Mr. Ahmed Gulak, the erstwhile Special Adviser on Political Matters to former President Goodluck Jonathan said he has sacked Acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus.

Justice Hussein Buba of an Abuja High Court had on December 15, 2015 in his declaratory judgment ordered Secondus Acting Chairman following the resignation of Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu to step aside within 14 days.

The judge noted that the position was originally zoned to the North-East and therefore, a replacement for Mu’azu should have emerged from the zone. Secondus, who hails from Bayelsa State, is from the South-South.

A stay of execution filed before the court was struck out yesterday.

Gulak, who had instituted the suit challenging Secondus’ eligibility for the office, stormed Wadata Plaza, the national secretariat yesterday in company of his followers to take over the seat.

No member of the National Working Committee (NWC) was at the secretariat to receive him as they all relocated to the party’s presidential campaign office, Legacy House for the weekly meeting.

Gulak told newsmen that declaratory judgment and the pronouncement of same court striking out the stay of execution filed by Secondus have empowered him to assume his new position.

While pleading for cooperation of party faithful, he hinted that the National Executive Committee (NEC) would soon “meet and take the most appropriate decisions for our party.”

Gulak’s statement reads in part:”We are here today in accordance with the court judgment of December 16, 2015 and the court ruling of today striking out the motion for stay of execution filed by the defendants.

“The court order of December 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.

“My assumption of office is to prepare the ground for the NEC of the party to meet and take the most appropriate decisions for our great party. It should not be seen as a contention against anybody or group of persons. 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,” he said.

But addressing newsmen at Legacy House, PDP National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, dismissed Gulak as a Fifth Columnist, who is ignorant of the law.

While he acknowledged that a judgment was given last December, asking Secondus to vacate his position, Kwon told newsmen that the party had since filed a stay of execution and an injunction pending appeal against the judgment.

Kwon said the party “has not received any hearing notice that the application came up today.

“So, if the application wasn’t heard today, it goes to show that the stay of execution hasn’t been struck out.

“Even the judgment asking Secondus to vacate his seat didn’t say the party should appoint Gulak as chairman.”

He said a meeting of the NEC would soon be convened to produce a substantive chairman from the North- East ahead of the national convention slated for March.

“ The PDP acknowledges the right of our members from the North-East to finish the tenure of Adamu Mu’azu. “Consultation is ongoing to produce a person that will be acceptable to members nationwide to assume the office.

“He alleged that Gulak is a Fifth Columnist, working for our opponent to destroy the party. He can’t proclaim himself as national chairman and the court didn’t proclaim him. Nobody would shortchange the North-East from producing national chairman, but due process must be followed.”

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