Leave me out of your self-inflicted crisis, Eradiri tells factional Bayelsa LP chair
The Labour Party Governorship Candidate in the Nov.11 poll in Bayelsa, Mr. Udengs Eradiri on Monday said his purported suspension from the party did not follow constitutional procedure and therefore null and void.
Some members of the state executive of LP loyal the party Chairman Eneyi Zidougha had endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Gov Douye Diri who won the election.
The development has factionalized the LP leadership and thrown the party into crisis.
Reacting to his suspension Eradiri told the embattled acting factional chairman of the party, Zidougha, to leave him out of the crisis rocking the leadership of the party in the state.
Eradiri urged members of the public to disregard Zidougha’s recent claims that he had expelled him from the LP saying the Constitution of the party did not confer such powers on him.
Eradiri said Zidougha should deal with the crisis he invited upon himself when he betrayed his party ahead of the recently concluded election by leading some members of his exco.to endorse the incumbent governor of PDP.
Eradiri said: “We all know what transpired ahead of the election. The so-called chairman worked against his party. He was accused of collecting N100m to endorse the state governor. He didn’t hide it. He and some of his exco members worked for the candidate of the PDP for the sake of their stomachs.
“They betrayed the Labour Party the same way they betrayed our Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi. He led some of his exco to play the highest level of anti-party and doesn’t have the locus standi to talk about disciplinary measures against anybody.
“The local government chairmen of the party were angry at their shameful and selfish conduct and decided to take over the leadership of the party. I called on him to stop dissipating his energy on me and channel it to dealing with the crisis he created for himself because of money”.
Eradiri maintained that Zidougha lacked the powers to flagrantly suspend any member of the party, much less the governorship candidate.
He said the constitution of the party is clear on how disciplinary measures should be taken against a member and none of them gave Zidougha the authority to summarily dismiss or expel a member.
It would be recalled that Zidougha had in a press conference on Saturday announced Eradiri’s expulsion while the Forum of Local Government Chairmen of LP in Bayelsa also suspended Zidougha.
