On Tuesday, last week, President Goodluck Jonathan took everyone by surprise. Unceremoniously, he terminated the appointment of his ever-active Special Adviser on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Rueben Abati confirmed the termination of Gulak’s appointment. The statement, however, left much to imagination as there was no reason given for the termination.
Many people were surprised with Gulak’s sack because he had exploited every available opportunity while on the job to lash out at perceived enemies of the administration and defended the actions or inactions of the Presidency.
While other Presidential aides may shy away from speaking up on sensitive national issues, Gulak was always a reporter’s delight as he picks any phone calls either in the day or night, to address any issue. He has also never failed to reply any text messages from journalists.
Providing reason for Gulak’s sack last week, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu said he was sacked for his arrogance and alleged irrational disposition.
According to him, two weeks ago Gulak had gone to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital to inaugurate the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) with a faction of the PDP in the state without informing the governor, Godswill Akpabio.
Raising objections, Akpabio was said to have insisted on punishment for Gulak for undermining him and allegedly working with those opposed to his administration.
While on the job, Gulak, among other declarations, had claimed that he was ready to die for Jonathan to ensure he wins the 2015 Presidential election. As at today, Jonathan has not officially declared his ambition for re-election.
Replying former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who raised weighty allegations against Jonathan in a letter last year, Gulak said: “President Jonathan’s foot soldiers are ready to support him. We are all ready to take the bullet on his behalf and are ready to tell those who want to bring down his government that enough is enough.”
While he was insisting last month that there was no alternative to Jonathan in 2015 Presidential election, Gulak had said: “Nigerians have seen there is no alternative to President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. We have gone round the country; even Nigerians in the Diaspora are unanimous on the fact that Nigeria is safer in President Jonathan’s hands.”
While receiving Men and Women of Action Campaign Team (MWACT) in Abuja in March this year, Gulak had declared that opponents of the ongoing National Conference are enemies of Nigeria.
Before the conference started in March, he had claimed that the conference was not programmed to promote Jonathan’s Presidential ambition.
Replying Kano State Governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, who, in January, claimed that Jonathan was leading Nigeria towards disaster because he lacked courage and the competence to do the right thing, Gulak had said: “That is a statement of a man that is drowning politically. He is mentally imbalanced. He needs a psychiatric help. It is only a man that is not balanced mentally that can be describing the President in that manner. Nigerians know what is being done by the President.”
When the Governor of his state, Adamawa, Murtala Nyako alleged that Jonathan signed a document with some PDP governors agreeing to serve for a single term, Gulak had, early this year, replied saying: “Nyako is a lost sheep. He does not know where he is at the moment. His statement is nothing but a ranting of a man who is dead politically.”
Nyako, through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, had declared that Gulak had no political life.
Sajoh said: “Gulak never had a political life. It’s a pity that it is a person like him that is speaking on behalf of the President. This man lacks values; he is without honour.”
Gulak, in December also described the governors who defected from the
PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as “prodigal sons” who will soon return to the PDP fold to beg for forgiveness.
When the APC accused Jonathan of ‘desecrating’ his office through his written response to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter late last year, Gulak did not spare any word in replying the party.
In November last year, Gulak referred Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu to as a serial liar over allegation that the Presidency was plotting to bribe 400 Northerners towards 2015 election.
Gulak, in June last year, did not hesitate to declare that any Niger Deltan who will go against Jonathan’s second term bid was not a true son of the South-South.
These are some of his responses and attacks on perceived enemies since
he assumed duty in November, 2011. There is no doubt that Gulak has, indeed stepped on many powerful toes.
But with all the defences he had put up for the administration, many observers believed that the best action the President should have taken was to warn him and redeploy him to another position.
And if he must go, this set of Nigerians believed that Gulak should have, at least, been given a soft-landing like the exit of some ministers and Presidential aides who were said to have “resigned to pursue their political aspirations.”
There were still others who felt that Gulak should have been sacked a long time ago as they believed that he was not good for the administration, even as they maintained that he will always bring problem to the administration.
To them, Jonathan’s greatest problems were those who surrounded him.
