Women in White Flood Port Harcourt Streets in Support of Emergency Rule
– Hundreds of women dressed in white took to the streets of Port Harcourt today, voicing their support for the state of emergency declared in Rivers State and backing the leadership of retired naval chief Ibok-Ete Ibas, who now serves as the state’s sole administrator.
Waving placards with bold messages such as “Prosecute the Bombers of Rivers Assembly” and “State of Emergency is Constitutional,” the demonstrators marched through major routes in the state capital, chanting solidarity songs and slogans.
The demonstration comes in the wake of a political upheaval that rocked Rivers State last month. On March 18, President Bola Tinubu imposed emergency rule in the oil-rich state, citing an escalating political crisis. The move included the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial six-month period.
In their march, the pro-emergency rule women declared their support for Ibas and urged Nigerians to “give peace a chance,” emphasizing that the temporary suspension of democratic structures was necessary to restore order.
This show of support contrasts sharply with a previous protest held on April 11, when a separate group of women rallied against the emergency rule. Those women called for the reinstatement of Governor Fubara and appealed to former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, and Goodluck Jonathan to step in and help restore democratic governance in the state.
As tensions remain high in Rivers, the state is increasingly becoming a battleground of public opinion—with both sides demanding national attention and political intervention.
