Te Pāti Māori MPs Tākuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. (File photo) Photo: RNZ
MP Tākuta Ferris, who was expelled from Te Pāti Māori this week alongside Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, says the pair never tried to take over as co-leaders.
Ferris said, in the eyes of Te Tai Tonga, he was still apart of Te Pāti Māori and wanted a meeting with the National Council to put forward his case to the membership.
"I have not left the party," he said.
Party president John Tamihere has accused the ousted pair of plotting a leadership coup.
Ferris told Morning Report, they wrote to the national council last week asking for a meeting, but the letter had been ignored despite being signed by half the caucus.
In the letter, Ferris said it called for an open audience for three MP's - himself, Kapa-Kingi and Oriini Kaipara, with the full council to "put our story forward".
He believed it was "inevitable" the situation would end up in court but would not say whether he would be the one to initiate court proceedings.
In terms of challenging the leadership, Ferris said he and Kapa-Kingi were not trying to take over as co-leaders, but it was instead a leader in Northland who had suggested it.
"About four or five months ago a leader in the North told JT [John Tamihere], he should step down... she said we should be leading the party. I was informed of that by Mariameno."
John Tamihere is the president of the party. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
He said there was a "whole lot of water under the bridge" with co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi.
Both Te Pāti Māori co-leaders were unavailable for an interview on Friday.
In an interview with RNZ on Thursday, Ferris described the expulsion process as a "joke" and underhanded.
He said, in his view, Te Pāti Māori MPs Oriini Kaipara and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke were now "trapped" in the party which was behaving "way below the line".
"Our mates, they weren't told we were getting expelled. They were told by the press release. This is the degree of the conduct, right? It's way below the line."
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