Rivers: Senate PDP caucus seeks Buhari’s intervention

•Demands release of results

From Fred Itua, Abuja

Senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),‎ yesterday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and support the investigation into killings  during the national and assembly rerun elections held last Saturday in Rivers State.
Rising from a caucus meeting, held at the instance of the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, the lawmakers, threw their weight behind  their  National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu-Sherif.
The lawmakers, condemned the crisis which characterised the rerun  but hailed the huge successes recorded by the PDP in the results declared so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking on behalf of other lawmakers after the emergency caucus meeting, Akpabio told newsmen that, “lNEC should, as a matter of urgency, release outstanding results in the elections, particularly results that were collated from all polling units/wards/local government areas in their possession with immediate effect.
“The caucus reviewed the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our party, and agreed that the timetable of the party congresses and national convention remain sacrosanct reiterated by Sheriff who attended the caucus and briefed members accordingly.
“The caucus agreed to send a delegation to visit Rivers with a view to congratulating Governor Nyesom Wike on the electoral victories, and also, to commiserate with the wounded and families of people who lost their loved ones in the re- run elections in the state particularly the youth corps member who was slain in the imbroglio,” Akpabio said.
The lawmakers called on INEC to immediately conduct the remaining rerun elections in Imo, Anambra and Kogi states respectively.
They said the continuous delay by INEC was contrary to the court judgments which stipulated that rerun elections be held within 90 days.
The Senators called on the political class to exhibit tolerance for multi-party democracy in the nation to discourage political impunity in all ramifications.