The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday expelled 9 of its members from the party over anti-party activities in the last general elections.
The decision for the expulsion was contained in a statement presented to media men by the state acting chairman of the party, Chief Serena Dokubo Spiff at its secretariat in Yenagoa, the state capital.
The affected members are, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, Mr. Nestor Binabo, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa and Mr. Chamberlain Kren Ikidi.
Others are, Mr. Osomkime Blankson, Mr. Emmanuel Okponipre, Mr. Ebikapade Dibiya and Joyce Fouyowei.
According to the statement, the decision for the expulsion of the members, followed a unanimous voice vote by members of the state executive committee, after deliberations on the report submitted by the chairman of the PDP disciplinary committee set up on the 19th of April to investigate the conduct of members of the party in the last electoral outing.
It, however, noted that some of the members, who are in the National Assembly or holding appointments at the national level would be referred to the national body of the PDP for further disciplinary measures in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
Such members are retired Colonel Sam Inokoba, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, while Fiebai Gbeinbo has been suspended for three months.
Chief Dokubo-Spiff in the statement announced that, Mr. Leghemo Kaiser and Mr. Denyabofa Dimaro are to render apology to the leadership of the PDP, while Dr. Godson Omubo-Dede and Mr. Dan Omubo-Dede were reprimanded.
“The State Working Committee met after receiving the report and deliberated on it and the State Executive Committee took a unanimous voice vote based on the gravity of the offences and the respective attitudes of the affected members, some were expelled, others suspended while a few others were reprimanded and exonerated.
“It is important to note that, the committee acted responsibly following the tenets of due process. The committee amply publicized the activities and invitations to the affected persons requesting them to turn and state their own side of the story. Some turned up and others were defiant and continued to treat our party with contempt, as a result certain members were expelled from the party.
The statement, however, said, a contact and reconciliation committee has been set up to look into the grievances of members and reconcile them back to the PDP fold.
In his remarks, Governor Seriake Dickson stressed that, if indiscipline and disloyalty were not checked among party members, it would affect the party’s survival, pointing out that, the situation whereby PDP members campaign openly for candidates of other political platforms while benefitting from the PDP will no longer be condoned.
Governor Dickson berated members, who worked against the party’s interest with impunity in the last elections and called for unity among members and lauded the acting chairman and the party for its efforts at instilling discipline and respect for constituted authority.
His words: “You cannot have a situation where party leaders will sponsor candidates on the platform of other political parties to contest for political power and space against our party. And they do so with impunity, campaign openly while they are PDP members benefitting from the platform provided by our party. This can no longer be tolerated.
“This is a PDP state, but our party’s strength will wane if we do not maintain party discipline. We cannot tolerate a situation where a few people consider themselves above the party and do things with impunity without regard for the authority of the leadership of the party just because they are in one leadership position or the other which by the way were positions they got through the instrumentality of the PDP.
“Let me stress that party discipline does not mean that members are not free to aspire to elective offices or other positions of political leadership. What it means is that, at the end of the primary elections, party members must conform to the decisions of the party. That is the only way a political organization can call itself, a political party.”
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