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Ahmad Gulak: Buhari Talks Tough, Vows to Catch Killers
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said his regime would ensure that those who killed a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Ahmed Gulak, were brought to justice.
Buhari spoke in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled, ‘President Buhari expresses outrage, sadness over Gulak’s murder.’
Gulak, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was killed in Owerri, Imo State, on Sunday.
Sources said he was ambushed while on his away to the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.
His motorcade was reportedly attacked at a place called Obiagwa, close to the airport.
Shehu quoted the President as saying, “I’m repulsed by such premeditated and gruesome murder of Gulak by evil people who are determined to undermine the peace, unity and territorial integrity of our country.
“Let me warn, however, that nobody or group of people who engages in such despicable acts should expect to go free.
A spokesperson for the police in the state, Bala Elkana, in a statement, said six bandits were behind the murder.
Elkana said Gulak left his hotel room in Owerri on Sunday to catch a flight without informing the police despite the security situation in the state.
The statement read, “On May 30, around 7.20am, bandits intercepted and attacked a Toyota Camry cab taking Ahmed Gulak and two others who were on their way to the Sam Mbakwe Airport to catch a flight.
“Ahmed Gulak left his room at Protea Hotel without informing the police or sister agencies in view of the fragile security situation in the South-East and Imo in particular.
“He left without any security escorts and while the cab driver took irregular route to the airport, six bandits, who were in a Toyota Sienna, intercepted, identified and shot at Ahmed Gulak at around Umueze Obiangwu in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area close to the airport.
“The Commissioner of Police Imo, CP Abutu Yaro, has directed a discreet investigation into the matter as tactical and special forces have been deployed to cordon off the area and arrest perpetrators.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), beginning with President Bola Tinubu himself.
Atiku’s call comes in the wake of the recent resignation of the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over an alleged certificate scandal.
Following the controversy surrounding the authenticity of his academic qualifications, Nnaji tendered his resignation on Tuesday. He, however, maintains that his resignation is not an admission of guilt.
Reacting to the development in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Atiku said the resignation of the former minister has “once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.”
The former Vice President also questioned Tinubu’s own credentials, alleging that they have been the subject of controversy for decades. He, therefore, called for a thorough investigation into the credentials of all FEC members, starting with the President.
“This episode is not isolated. It is a reflection of a pattern — a rot that begins from the very top. The man who occupies the office of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has for decades been enmeshed in controversies surrounding his identity, age, and academic records.
“From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, the world has seen ample evidence that Nigeria today is led by a man who himself has been unable to credibly defend the authenticity of his own certificates.
“When a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance. Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury has effectively institutionalized falsehood in public service.
“It is, therefore, unsurprising that his ministers and aides have taken after his example — falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of our nation.
“I, therefore, call for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, beginning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself. Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources.
“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation’ — an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government,” Atiku said.
He condemned President Tinubu’s decision to allow Nnaji an honourable resignation rather than a dismissal.
“Let the truth be told: Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification.
“By permitting him to quietly exit through the back door, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”
Atiku also berated the Department of State Services (DSS), questioning how Nnaji’s alleged certificate scandal escaped detection during the screening process prior to his appointment.
“What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services (DSS), which screened out Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’, is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji.
“The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace. Their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world and raises the question: how many more such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government?”
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, accepted Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s departure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the expiration of his second term in office.
Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years.
The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.
President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.
In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the Commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.
In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.
The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned his position following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the resignation in a statement on Tuesday, saying the President has accepted the Minister’s decision to step down.
He added that “President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023. He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.”
Onanuga further quoted the former Minister as saying he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents.”
“President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours,” the statement added.
