From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Labour Party governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Engr Udengs Eradiri, has told the embattled acting factional chairman of the party, Eneyi 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.
He said Zidougha should deal with the crisis he invited upon himself when he betrayed his party ahead of the concluded election by leading some members of his endorse the state Governor, Douye Diri.
Eradiri said local government chairmen of the party who are no longer comfortable with the leadership of Zidougha
He said”We all know what transpired ahead of the election. The so-called chairman worked against his party. He was accused of collecting N100m. 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 Labour Party 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”.
Besides, Eradiri insisted 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.