Tensions Rise in Rivers State as Women Protest Fubara’s Suspension, Demand End to Emergency Rule
A wave of bold defiance swept through the streets of Port Harcourt on Wednesday as the Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group staged a powerful protest against the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the ongoing emergency rule in the state.
Draped in symbolic red attire, hundreds of women gathered to voice their discontent over what they described as an “unconstitutional state of affairs” gripping Rivers. The protesters carried placards with messages like “Rivers State Economy Suffers Under Ibas,” “NBA, Have Conscience,” “Bring Back Fubara,” and “We Are Gagged.”
The protest, which marked the second major women-led demonstration in recent weeks, called attention to the political crisis ignited by President Bola Tinubu’s controversial decision on March 18 to suspend Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire state assembly for six months. Tinubu cited prolonged political instability as the reason for invoking emergency powers and installed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator.
In a joint statement, protest leaders Nancy Nwankwo and Vivian Ige-Elenwo accused Ibas of escalating tensions rather than promoting peace.
“Nearly one month after assuming control, rather than fostering reconciliation among the political stakeholders, Vice Admiral Ibas has deepened the divide,” the statement read. “His actions—dismantling democratic institutions and orchestrating policies for political domination—serve only the interests of those who appointed him.”
The group didn’t mince words in condemning what they called the “dictatorial tendencies” of Ibas and Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju. They recounted how a peaceful protest on April 11 was met with tear gas and police intimidation.
“Shockingly, the police responded with force, deploying tear gas and brute intimidation in a bid to silence our democratic right to peaceful assembly,” the statement added.
The women further accused security agencies of bias, alleging that police protection was provided to a pro-Ibas rally held just days after their own was disrupted. They described the police conduct as “deliberate provocation and double standards aimed at suppressing democratic rights.”
Beyond political grievances, the group painted a grim picture of the impact emergency rule is having on the state’s economy and daily life.
“Our economy is crumbling, and it’s the women and children who are paying the highest price,” the group lamented.
They also questioned the federal government’s priorities, criticising its failure to declare emergency rule in more violence-prone areas of the country while deploying over 10,000 security personnel to Rivers “for political intimidation.”
The immediate removal of Commissioner Adepoju, the reinstatement of Governor Fubara, the redeployment of troops to regions battling terrorism, not politically stable zones
They also called on the international community to take notice and support the restoration of democratic governance in Rivers.
The political crisis in Rivers began escalating when President Tinubu invoked emergency powers last month, citing internal instability. His decision to suspend the state’s top officials and appoint a military figure to govern has since drawn widespread criticism and sparked a wave of protests and counter-protests across the state.
