The All Progressives Congress, APC, has decried what it called the worsening impunity and the human rights violation in Rivers State “against those perceived to be against the President” and has urged Nigerians to lend their voices in the call for restoration of sanity in the state.

The national publicity secretary of the party, Lai Mohammed,  described the controversial police commissioner of the state, Mbu Joseph, as a malleable officer who has put himself above the laws of the land and is now, undoubtedly, the alternate Inspector-General of Police, who can neither be queried nor redeployed because he enjoys presidential backing.

“Imagine every State Police Commissioner in Nigeria behaving like Alternate IGP Mbu, who neither respects nor takes orders
from the man constitutionally saddled with ensuring security in his state. Imagine every State Police Commissioner having the
powers to determine who can move around and where, or who can assemble and where, just like Alternate IGP Mbu,” the party wondered.

He said a situation where the chief security officer of the state has been put in a position where he is fearful for his own life is “madness”.

The APC further expressed fears that the insubordination of the police commissioner in Rivers State, if not contained, is capable of spreading to other states and ultimately could subvert elections in 2015.

“While we may think this madness is restricted only to Rivers State, the danger is that if those behind the Rivers crisis can get away with their impunity” it noted , and asked “what prevents them from extending it to other states? What will be the implication for the 2015 elections if men like Mbu take charge of all states”?

The party said it decided to take the issue to the court of Nigerians because it had become apparent that even the system of checks and balances set up by the country’s Constitution is not enough.

“When the resolutions of the National Assembly, where the true representatives of the people hold sway, are no longer worth the paper on which they are written, something is definitely wrong.”

The APC warned further: “If Mbu’s reign of the jungle and President Jonathan’s testing of fascism are allowed to continue in Rivers State, it is only a matter of time before the entire country will become their playground, with deadly consequences for all.”