MATTERS ARISING: Gulak didn’t tell police he was leaving Owerri — but did he inform Uzodinma?

On Sunday, Ahmed Gulak, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was killed by gunmen while returning to Abuja from Owerri, Imo state capital. The circumstances around his killing are shrouded in mystery. The incident raises so many questions begging for answers.

Gulak had a history with the state where his life’s journey came to an abrupt end. A former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, he was sacked by his principal as special adviser on political matters in April 2014 after he was accused of meddling in the affairs of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) states. Four years after, he left the PDP and joined the APC.

GULAK’S ROLE IN THE IMO APC CRISIS

At the APC, Gulak was a factor to be reckoned with. He was chairman of the APC committee that conducted the primaries for Imo governorship election. After arriving in the state to supervise the exercise in October 2018, he was declared missing. Gulak later came out to say he was “kidnapped” and that he was offered a $2 million bribe by an unnamed person just to influence the outcome of the primaries.

Gulak had also alleged that Rochas Okorocha, then-governor of Imo state, forced members of the electoral panel to declare Uche Nwosu, his son-in-law as the winner of the primary election. Nwosu had been announced winner before the national working committee (NWC) of the party cancelled the exercise. The NWC recognised Hope Uzodinma as the party’s candidate. Gulak was reported to have fled his hotel room at midnight, but would declare Uzodinma the party’s candidate later in the morning.  In November 2018, an Imo high court validated Uzodinma’s candidature.

Nwosu defected to Action Alliance to contest the election, which he lost. On his return to the APC, he said he had forgiven everyone behind his ordeal during the crisis that hit the state chapter of the APC.

“That aside, I have forgiven everybody, no matter what they have done, from the National Chairman to Gulak, to those in the state; what we need is to move ahead. We are brothers and sisters, there must be peace,” Nwosu said.

Gulak’s mission in Imo two years after the election cannot be established now, but his killing has set tongues wagging.

QUESTIONS BEGGING FOR ANSWERS

A few hours after the APC chieftain was shot dead near the airport, the Imo police command said Gulak left his hotel room without informing security operatives in spite of the insecurity in the state. Bala Elkana, the command spokesman, said six armed bandits intercepted Gulak and two others inside a cab close to the airport. Sam Mbakwe Airport is on the outskirts of the state capital. Elkana added that the “bandits” only identified Gulak and shot him, while the others escaped the onslaught.

In another statement, Elkana said the attack was carried out in four vehicles by six hoodlums who were members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He said police officers trailed the assailants to a location in the state where they were distributing onions to locals from a truck they confiscated. Then, the security operatives engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle and killed them.

Curiously, the police say Gulak did not notify them of his intention to leave the state, but did he also not inform Uzodinma of his presence and exit?

When asked if Uzodinma was aware of Gulak’s presence in the state, Oguwike Nwachukwu, the governor’s spokesperson, told TheCable that it is not his principal’s business to know the movement of every visitor in the state.

“Is it everyone that comes into the state that the governor will be aware of their presence? Is it his business to go around looking for people who visited the state? The police have issued a statement on what they are doing and on Gulak’s movement. I think we should go with that statement while we await further outcomes of their investigations,” Nwachukwu said.

While the public awaits more clues on the death of the APC chieftain, insecurity continues to heighten tension across the country.