Unable to Ban Rank

Hello,
There seems to be an issue with my coding. Whenever I (Owner) try to ban another rank (CoOwner), it does not allow me to. Know why?
I'm using PermissionsEx.
Thanks.

Code:

groups:
  Member:
    permissions:
    - essentials.home
    - essentials.balance
    - essentials.balancetop
    - essentials.afk
    - essentials.afk.auto
    - essentials.pay
    - essentials.help
    - essentials.mail
    - essentials.mail.send
    - essentials.msg
    - essentials.signs.use.buy
    - essentials.signs.use.sell
    - essentials.list
    - essentials.helpop
    - essentials.chat.shout
    options:
      prefix: '&f[&aMember&f]&f '
      default: true
      build: false
      rank: '500'
  VIP:
    inheritance:
    - Member
    permissions:
    options:
      prefix: '&b[&eVIP&b]&b '
      rank: '400'
  Moderator:
    inheritance:
    - Member
    permissions:
    - essentials.tpa
    - essentials.tpaccept
    - essentials.tpdeny
    - essentials.vanish
    - essentials.fly
    - essentials.helpop.*
    - essentials.mute
    - essentials.kick
    - essentials.tempban
    - essentials.tp
    - essentials.god
    options:
      prefix: '&b[&5Moderator&b]&b '
      rank: '300'
  Admins:
    inheritance:
    - Moderator
    permissions:
     - essentials.pardon
     - essentials.ban
    options:
      prefix: '&b[&9Admin&b]&b '
      rank: '200'
  CoOwner:
    inheritance:
    - Admins
    permissions:
    - worldedit.*
    - essentials.*
    - worldguard.*
    - permissions.*
    - nocheatplus.*
    options:
      prefix: '&b[&cCoOwner&b]&b '
      rank: '100'
  Owners:
    inheritance:
    - CoOwner
    permissions:
    options:
      prefix: '&b[&cOwner&b]&b '
      rank: '1'
users:
  f71c1edf-2df2-4ae9-947e-e720c5c5b115:
    group:
    - Owners
    permissions:
    - permissions.*
    - worldedit.*
    - essentials.*
    - worldguard.*
    - nocheatplus.*
    options:
      name: Darkblizzard100
  81f3bdd8-2d9e-4159-85fd-739b8ad7cf22:
    group:
    - CoOwner
    permissions:
    options:
      name: GeneralCJBogusz
schema-version: 1

 

Moved to General Help.

 

the * part of a permission node means "EVERY SINGLE NODE" such as the permission nodes that prevent one from banning, jailing, etc. Essentials.* contains such permissions within the hundreds of nodes it has.

 

essentially anyone with Admin rank (with OP) and Above have a ban exemption permission.

 

So what do I need to change to make this work? Remove permissions* from CoOwner?

 

add the negative permission node for essentials that make a player excempt from banning
http://wiki.ess3.net/wiki/Command_Reference/Perm

 

Thanks for the support!