Gulak’s Murder Was Political – Governor Uzodinma; Why He Came To Imo

By Charles Igbo

“The events of the last few weeks do not represent who we (Imo people) are”

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State says the murder of Ahmed Gulak was political.

In his first official reaction to the gruesome murder of Alhaji Gulak in Imo State on Sunday, May 30, Uzodinma said it was clearly a political assassination. The Governor also revealed why the murdered former Political Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan was in the State, thus, debunking the many rumours surrounding his visit.

Not a few had said that considering the state of insecurity in the South-east, it was a bad judgement on his side to have visited Imo at the time he did.

But in a broadcast to the people of the State, on Monday, where he bemoaned Gulak’s murder, and consoled all those who lost loved ones during this sad period, Uzodinma said Gulak was on a National assignment.

Gulak was murdered on his way to the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport to board a flight to back to Abuja. Close to the Airport, the Cab he rode in, in the company of two others, was intercepted by gunmen who shot him after identifying him.

Said Uzodinma: “Being a humble man, he chose to travel incognito according to  his friend who was with him. Someone must have trailed him from the hotel to the Airport. That is exactly why his gruesome murder appears to be a clear case of political assassination.”

“According to reports by the Police, he was shot in cold blood, and the assailants did not remove anything from him”

Bemoaning the sudden violence in Imo State, an otherwise peaceful State, the Governor said:

“Imo people are very hospitable. The events of the last two weeks do not represent which we are.”

On why Gulak was in the State, the Governor said: “Alhaji Ahmed Gulak was in Imo State for a National assignment. He came to Owerri with the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment.”

Gulak was a brilliant lawyer and a former Speaker of the Adamawa House of Assembly, and so, was involved in the process of Constitutional Amendment.

Before the Governor’s disclosure of his mission to Imo, rumours had been rife on why he visited.

While some people said he came to the State to “inspect work on the road contracts given to him in the by Uzodinma”, others said he came to take “his share of the Federal allocation of Imo State.”

Yet, the most heartless of the false reasons for his visit was that “he came to give Uzodinma a final warning to the Governor to pay him the money owed him, Gulak, for giving him, Uzodinma, the APC Governorship ticket in 2019, which Uzodinma  promised to, but never fulfilled the agreed sum of N10b”.

Seeing that he was not able to fulfill it, the rumour alleged,  “the Governor put him in a Cab, and sent assassins after him”.

“All these cruel, and false allegations”, said an Imo elder, “were put on the Social Media, and made to go viral” in order to make the Governor look bad.”

But mourning Gulak, who he described as a patriot, the Governor said: “He was an invaluable friend and brother  whose sense of justice  fairness, and uprightness endeared him to me.”

Gulak was the Chairman of the APC APC Governorship Primary in 2019 during which Uzodinma was declared winner, against former Governor Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu.

That process, eventually, led to his becoming the Governor of Imo State, after the Supreme Court ruled in his favour, and removed the then incumbent  Governor, the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.