Members of the Labour Party (LP) in Bayelsa State have sacked their ichairman; Mr Eneyi Zidougha over sundry allegations which they said has diminished the image of the party in the state.
The sacked chairman was accused of abuse of party funds, anti-party activities, high-handedness, trading with the name of the party for pecuniary benefits, switching of party candidates.
The party secretariat venue of the party’s congress was on Friday taken over by armed Policemen who prevented members from accessing the secretariat.
This led to a protest led by Abraham Gillet, the leader of the Concerned Labour Party members in the state, demanding the armed Policemen to vacate the premises to allow the members hold their congress.
Gillet lamented that the party has lost many members to other political parties because of the leadership style of Zidougha.
He said the only way for the party to regain the confidence of its members and Bayelsans sympathetic to the party is for Zidougha to step aside for another person to take over as Chairman.
During the congress which was boycotted by Zidougha, the former Vice- Chairman, Bayelsa Central, Mr Ebi Sikpi was nominated as the acting Chairman.
The Assistant Secretary of the Party, Mr Theophilus Taribo, who confirmed the sack of Zidougah after the congress, explained that Sikpi’s nomination as the new chairman was done in accordance with the law.
Mr Sikpi in his acceptance speech vowed to reposition the party before the commencement of elections.
He promised to work assiduously to unite the party, work with organised labour and members to ensure victory for the party and redeem the image of the party in the state.
The Bayelsa State Political Commission of the Organized Labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) also known as the Workers Political Movement (WPM) has thrown its weight behind the sack of Zidougha.
WPM in a resolution signed by Mr John Angese and David Emiebor, Chairman and Secretary respectively accused the removed chairman of dictatorship.
But Zidougha in his reaction insisted that he is still the Chairman of the party because his purported removal was unconstitutional.
“I am still in charge as the party chairman. My purported removal was unconstitutional and did not follow due process. They did not have the approval to hold a congress.
