A large group of women staged a protest outside the State Government House in Port Harcourt, demonstrating against the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the ongoing emergency rule in the state, before marching through the city’s streets.
The women, chanting solidarity songs and holding placards, demanded the reinstatement of democratic leadership in support of the suspended governor.
In a contentious move, Governor Fubara was suspended in March after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state, prompting the federal government to appoint retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator for an initial six-month period.
The protesting women alleged that the federal government was utilizing the emergency rule to further a political agenda rather than address any genuine security concerns.
“This imposition is not driven by any genuine threat to national security but is clearly a politically motivated manoeuvre aimed at subjugating our people and undermining our constitutional democracy,” the women said in a statement titled “Liberation Walk and Call for the Restoration of Democratic Leadership.”
The protesters accused the Sole Administrator of overstepping his authority and attempting to seize control of the state unfairly, questioning why Rivers, a relatively peaceful state, was under emergency rule while more troubled states like Borno, Zamfara, and Kaduna were not.
“What we are witnessing is not governance—it is occupation. Not democracy, but autocracy,” the women declared.
The group made several demands, including the immediate reinstatement of Governor Fubara and other democratic institutions in Rivers State; an end to the military-style emergency rule, which they considered unconstitutional and unjustified; intervention by respected Nigerian leaders and diplomats to reverse the decision; and support from civil society and the international community to defend democracy in Rivers State, as well as promoting Nigerian cultural tours.
They warned that women and youths in the state would no longer remain silent in the face of what they called repression and political takeover.
“Rivers State is the heart of the Niger Delta. Peace has prevailed in our communities. We will not allow anyone to steal our voices or subvert our will. Democracy must be restored,” the statement by the protesters added.
