Hundreds of women dressed in red flooded the streets of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday morning, demanding the reinstatement of the suspended state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Chanting “Bring Back Sim” in unison, the women, operating under Rivers Women Prayer Group took over major roads in a powerful show of solidarity, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revoke the emergency rule currently in place in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the women, Dr. Nancy Chidi Nwankwo and Dr. Vivian Ige-Elenwo in a joint statement said ” Once again, and for the umpteenth time, we, the women of Rivers State under the umbrella of the Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group, strongly reiterate our unwavering demand for the immediate termination of the unconstitutional and unjust emergency rule currently imposed on our dear state.
The continuous actions of the imposed Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), have clearly exposed the ulterior and politically motivated intentions behind this so-called emergency rule.
Nearly one month after assuming control, rather than fostering reconciliation among the political stakeholders, Vice Admiral Ibas has deepened the divide. His actions of dismantling democratic institutions and orchestrating policies aimed at achieving political domination serve only the interests of those who appointed him.
We, the women of Rivers State, firmly reject every attempt to stifle the voices of our people or frustrate legitimate dissent. We condemn in strong terms the dictatorial tendencies of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju. On Friday, April 11, 2025, we held a peaceful protest against the injustice meted out to our state. Shockingly, the police responded with force, deploying tear gas and brute intimidation in a bid to silence our democratic right to peaceful assembly.
Yet, on Monday, April 14, 2025, the same Vice Admiral Ibas reportedly sponsored a counter-protest, hiring thugs to masquerade as Rivers women in support of the illegal state of emergency, an act that was shamefully protected by the same Police Commissioner who had earlier brutalized real Rivers women for peacefully speaking out.
This deliberate provocation and double standard is nothing short of sabotage and the squashing of democratic rights.
The economic impact of this ill-conceived emergency rule is already evident. Businesses are shutting down, planned investments are being relocated, and the state’s economy is in freefall.
As always, it is our women and children who bear the brunt of this upheaval and economic hardship.
We call on all Nigerians of conscience, civil society groups, and particularly the National Assembly, to continue to speak out against this impunity and urgently act to reverse this deeply unpopular decision. It is disturbing to note that in many truly volatile regions of Nigeria, where communities are under siege by terrorists and where lives are being lost daily, the federal government has neither declared State of Emergency, suspended the governor or deployed adequate security forces.
Yet, in Rivers State, over 10,000 police personnel and countless military operatives have been deployed — not for security, but for political intimidation under the guise of emergency rule.
Just this Monday, women protesting against the emergency rule in Mbiama were again tear-gassed and brutalized, while another group of women who sang praises of the emergency rule were shielded and escorted by the police. This selective protection of sycophants while repressing genuine voices of concern is a grave injustice.
We therefore demand the following, without equivocation:
1. The immediate removal of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju.
2. An urgent and total end to the illegal state of emergency imposed on Rivers State.
3. The full restoration of all democratic institutions, including the reinstatement of the duly elected Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
4. The redeployment of military personnel to regions where they are truly needed, where citizens are being slaughtered and communities are being ravaged by terrorists.
Our beloved nation is teetering dangerously toward becoming a banana republic. This descent must be halted, and Nigeria must be rescued from political tyranny and systemic impunity.
Finally, we call on the international community to take a firm stand, to intervene diplomatically, and to prevail on the Nigerian government to restore democracy and protect the rights and dignity of the people of Rivers State.
Our people deserve peace, justice, and the freedom to thrive in a truly democratic society”.
