PDP senators back CUPP, demand investigation of assault on Fayose

Members of the PDP Caucus in the Senate have thrown their weight
behind the formation of a Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP,
which saw over 30 parties sign a MoU in Abuja to oust President
Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

Addressing National Assembly correspondents after meeting behind
closed doors for an hour, the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio
described the formation of the coalition as a giant stride by the
former ruling party, saying that PDP will bounce back to power.

"We noted the giant strides of PDP in forming a coalition in order to
win the 2019 general election," he said.

The caucus however stated that it received with shock and
disappointment reports of how Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state
was beaten and teargassed at a PDP rally in Ado-Ekiti.

They called on the federal government to investigate the incident,
wondering how a sitting governor could be so abused, adding that the
caucus has set up a committee of five senators to interact with the
Ekiti governor in order to get first hand investigation.

"We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to constitute the
Commission of inquiry into how a sitting governor was beaten so that
such things would not repeat itself again," the caucus said.

They however called on the Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC, to be neutral in Saturday's gubernatorial election in Ekiti
state.

The caucus warned that if the election was rigged, it would be be
difficult for Nigeria to have free and fair elections in 2019.

"We also appreciate the Supreme Court of Nigerian for delivering a
landmark judgement in the case of the Senate President and that of
Senator Albert Akpan," Akpabio said.