Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja 

Former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Ahmed Ali Gulak, has sensationally revealed the deadly mistake the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has made at his Adamawa home State in his bid to win the February 16, presidential election.

The former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly and a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that Abubakar failed to move the political gatekeepers in Adamawa State along with him to the PDP, concluding that there will be no contest between Abubakar and President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC in the forthcoming election. 

Gulak also said: “Of course, it is a political mistake. He knows that. Atiku is a veteran. Adamawa State is his home state. If for nothing, at least, all the political gatekeepers would have been with him. But if you begin to mention the political gatekeepers who are with Atiku in Adamawa State today as I speak, I have not seen any known figure that is with him from Adamawa State.”

Gulak also spoke on the crisis in the Imo State Chapter of the APC, arising from his conduct of the gubernatorial primaries, dismissing any form of crisis in the party and maintaining that he is not an enemy of Governor Rochas Okorocha. Excerpts:

How is the political atmosphere in Adamawa State where yourself and the likes of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, M.B. Marwa, Babachir Lawal are cueing behind President Muhammadu Buhari rather than Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who is your kinsman?

Well, as far as I am concerned, we belong to two different camps. The people you have mentioned, myself, Ahmed Ali Gulak, General Marwa, Babachir and a host of others, are cueing behind Buhari because we are in the same party. We belong to the APC. And because Atiku is from Adamawa State does not derogate from the fact that… Well, let him go and look for the votes of his PDP supporters. We will also look for votes for Buhari from APC supporters and that is it. As far as I am concerned, we belong to different political parties and strategically speaking, Atiku would have done the needful even before decamping to PDP. He would have wooed the political gatekeepers in Adamawa State to move along with him. But that could not happen, that he did not do and he left the APC alone. And alone he went to the PDP and all of us stayed back to support our party and to support our presidential candidate who is President Muhammadu Buhari.

So, in your calculation of his decision, that was a deadly mistake Atiku made at the home front?

Of course, it is a political mistake. He knows that. Atiku is a veteran. Adamawa State is his home state. If for nothing, at least, all the political gatekeepers would have been with him. But if you begin to mention the political gatekeepers who are with Atiku in Adamawa State today as I speak, I have not seen any known figure that is with him from Adamawa State. You know this politics is not a rocket science. You know politics is local; from the unit, voting unit, to the ward, local government and the state. For example, I have made it a point of duty notwithstanding the insecurity challenges. I visit my community every month. At times, twice a month! Whatever little I have, we go there, we gather together, we drink water, we discuss our human challenges; and that is what politics is all about. And when the time comes for voting, they expect that I am the person close to them. I will go to them and give them directives. That is why I said there are always political gatekeepers in the political terrain in Nigeria. People trust you, people believe in you because you are always with them. They have never seen Buhari live. Our communities, our people, they only see Buhari on television, or radio or they are told what he is doing for the country. They have never shook hands with Buhari, but we are the people that shake hands with Buhari in Abuja and they believe and trust whatever we tell them. So, by the time you assemble those political gatekeepers in Adamawa State, the aggregate is, 90 percent of us are in APC.

Don’t you think that what people term as political mistakes being made by President Buhari like the suspension of Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), may be capitalised on by Atiku to win the forthcoming presidential election like he had already written to the international community?

No, no, no. It is your opinion to say mistake. These things are legally put in place by the constitution. Yes, politicians can always make storm out ofa tea cup; politicians will always make political gains out of every situation, especially if you are in the opposition.

You were in Imo State with the President yesterday (Tuesday). Did you exchange pleasantries with Governor Rochas Okorocha?

Well, we shook hands. Why not? We are in the same party. It is politics. Am I his enemy? Is he my enemy? What is the problem?

So, Okorocha shook hands with you?

Of course! Why not? 

When you were getting ready to leave Abuja for Imo, were you in anyway afraid that Okorocha or his supporters may attack you?

Why? Why should they attack me? What did I do wrong?

It was reported in the media that the President endorsed both Uche Nwosu and Hope Uzodinma. Was that not a frustration of your effort?

No. President cannot endorse more than one candidate. President endorsed the candidate of his party, the APC who is Senator Hope Uzodinma. You saw the president raised up Hope Uzodinma’s hand and giving him flag to fly in the gubernatorial election. What endorsement do you need more than that? You see, people just make unnecessary issues out of no issue. This is a leader of the party, together with the national chairman of the party, attending the presidential rally where their candidate for the governorship is there and they raised his hand and they gave him flag to fly. So, what endorsement do you need?

But what actually happened in Imo? People are still saying that you didn’t really conduct election in Imo State?

I think we have passed that stage. I did not appoint myself to be the chairman of the Imo State Gubernatorial Primary Election. I was appointed by the party and because they know my capacity and my ability. And I and my committee, seven of us went there. Elections were conducted, results declared and reports submitted. And the National Working Committee (NWC), like in all other cases, reviewed the situation. And as at the time they upheld our report, there was no single petition against the conduct of the election. Not even from Uche Nwosu himself to the panel.

How do you feel about the current crisis in the party in Imo State? 

I don’t think there is crisis. There is no crisis in APC in Imo State.

But Uche Nwosu left APC for Action Alliance (AA). What is your take on this?

How many people left PDP and came to APC? There are alignments and re-alignments because some politicians are there by opportunity. They are not real politicians. It is not I must have it, if not, I will destroy it. That is the attitude.

And Okorocha didn’t say anything to you yesterday and you didn’t tell him anything?

Why will he tell me? And why will I tell him? He is a governor; he wanted his son-in-law to be governor on the platform of the APC. The APC in the state voted against his son in-law.

Some people are saying…

(Cuts in) Some are saying, some are saying, but if you were in Imo State yesterday in the stadium when people gathered and the MC announced that one of our dignitaries was Ahmed Gulak, it was a standing ovation. It was a standing ovation. Go and ask.

But some people still believe that your leaning towards Uzodinma was as a result of your earlier alliance in the PDP under Ali Modu Sheriff. Is it true?

Was Okorocha not in PDP?

The general acceptance of the APC in the Southeast is still believed to be poor and that the Southeast is sympathetic to Atiku. How is it like for the APC at the moment

Let me tell you, what I can guarantee you, write it down and I can bet on this that Buhari got less than 200,000 votes in the entire Southeast in 2015. Do you agree with me? In fact, to be specific, he got 192,000 votes in the entire Southeast. Do you think with what is on ground with your assessment; Buhari will not get more than that? The least Buhari will get in the Southeast is 25 per cent. And in 2015, he got less than 10 percent. So, by this calculation, Buhari is as good as has won the election.

So, you are optimistic that the APC will win the February 16, presidential election?

There is no contest. As a politician, practical politician who has gone round this country, there is no contest.