April 14, (THEWILL) – Hundreds of women took to the streets of Port Harcourt on Monday in a coordinated rally backing the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing the measure as both lawful and necessary for the restoration of peace.
Marching through Garrison Flyover to the Isaac Boro Park, the protesters brandished placards bearing inscriptions such as “State of Emergency is Constitutional,” “Sole Administrator: Investigate Sim Fubara’s Bloated Contracts,” and “No Tribal War in Rivers State, No More Fubara.”The protesters, who marched along Aba Road, brandished placards bearing inscriptions such as “State of Emergency is Constitutional,” “Sole Administrator: Investigate Sim Fubara’s Bloated Contracts,” and “No Tribal War in Rivers State, No More Fubara.”
The rally follows the controversial suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, alongside the dissolution of the state’s House of Assembly.
A retired naval chief, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, was appointed as Sole Administrator to oversee the state’s affairs for an initial period of six months.
Chanting solidarity songs and waving the national flag, the women lauded the President’s intervention, claiming that the emergency rule had brought a semblance of calm after months of political tension.
They accused the embattled governor of mismanaging public funds through inflated contracts and inciting tribal division across the state, calling for a thorough probe into his administration.
“We commend President Tinubu for taking bold steps to restore peace in Rivers State. The state of emergency is not only constitutional, it is timely,”
“We do not want Governor Fubara back. He has failed the people,” one of the protesters said.
Speaking on behalf of the women, a former Commissioner for Social Welfare in the State, Ifeyinwa Aguma (an ally of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike), called for investigation into the arson on the Rivers Assembly complex, all spending by Governor Fubara without appropriation, claims made by the former Head of Service, HoS George Nwaeke.
The rally adds a fresh layer to the ongoing political crisis in the oil-rich state, which has seen deepening divisions within the ruling political class.
The Federal Government has yet to respond officially to growing calls, both for and against the emergency rule.
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