APC, Others React To Police Ban On Rallies …Begins Membership Registration,Today

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has described the recent ban of poltical rallies by the State Police Command as an act of illegality and abuse of the inalienable rights of the people to freely associate as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria.
The Party, which stated this in a statement, yesterday in Port Harcourt, said it regarded the ban on rallies as a direct declaration of War on the long suffering people of Rivers State.
The statement, signed by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the Senior Special Assistant to the Interim State Chairman, noted that the directive was aimed at disrupting the APC membership drive and registration scheduled to commence today in Rivers State.
According to him, “Our members and supporters are scheduled to commence registration on Wednesday (today)”, adding that the directive was clearly targeted at frustrating the exercise after APC had already trained officers and moblisied materials to all the wards and units in the state.
“The latest impunity by Mbu Joseph Mbu was designed to sabotage our membership drive. The plan will fail as the Police lack powers to stop the nationwide registration of the APC exercise from holding in Rivers State”.
Chief Eze said the party in the state had directed its lawyers to challenge the order in court as it had instructed its resigration officers to go ahead with the registration exercise.
He warned that if the Police intention was to use the ban to disrupt its registration exercise, then it was an exercise in futility.
Also reacting to the ban, the President of the Save Rivers Movement, Mr. Charles Ahorlu said the Police had no right to ban political rallies in the state.
Ahorlu, who spoke in  a telephone interview, explained that the state Police Command was arrogating to itself the power not vested in it by the Nigerian constitution.
According to him, “we will not take the ban on rallies lightly. Where were the Police when the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) was moving around all nooks and crannies of the state, holding political rallies in the local government areas of the state”.
Meanwhile, the GDI said it was ready to comply with the ban on Political rallies by the Police.
The National Spokesman of the group, Mr. Godwill Orurakwe said President Goodluck Jonathan had maintained that he did not want any loss of life for any political reasons.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, on Monday placed a ban on rallies in the state.
Mbu, who said the decision was based on the increasing political tension in the state, specifically said the ban affected political rallies.
Before the outright ban, the CP had directed that those holding rallies in the state should apply for permission from the Police.
He also prohibited activities involving the Grassroots Development Initiative, Save Rivers Movement and the Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation.
“Accordingly, all public activities involving rallies of Grassroots Development Initiative, Save Rivers Movement, Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation and whatever other names, are hereby banned”.
Mbu warned that the Police would not provide security for any group that henceforth organize rallies.
The CP, however, said that party membership registration would only be allowed based on the provisions of the Electoral Act and regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State described the ban on political rallies as a gang-up between the Police and the State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
The state Chairman, Brother Felix Obuah said the ban on political rallies was targeted at stopping the PDP from taking its campaign to the various local government areas of the state.
“I just believe it (ban on rallies by the Police) is against the PDP. The PDP has not started its rallies and anytime from now, we are planning to embark on our rallies from one local government area to the other.