By Ayomide Otitoju
Hundreds of women took to the streets of Port Harcourt on Wednesday in a mass protest against the imposition of emergency rule in Rivers State and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Operating under the banner of Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group, the demonstrators marched through major roads, chanting solidarity songs and voicing their discontent over what they described as an “unconstitutional state of affairs.”
The women, clad in red attire symbolizing danger and resistance, carried placards with messages such as “We Have Conscience,” “Bring Back Governor Fubara,” “We Are Gagged,” “Rivers State Economy Suffers Under Ibas,” and “NBA, Have Conscience.”
Wednesday’s protest followed a similar demonstration earlier in the week in support of Governor Fubara, who was suspended from office by President Bola Tinubu amid a deepening political crisis in the oil-rich state.
Last month, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing security threats and ongoing political instability, including two pipeline explosions. Based on what he described as “compelling security reports,” the President announced a six-month suspension of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the State House of Assembly.
“This action is taken in the interest of peace and security,” Tinubu said at the time. “The declaration of emergency was inevitably compelling.”
He appointed a caretaker administrator, Ibas, to oversee state affairs during the suspension — a move that has sparked widespread criticism and legal pushback.
While some protesters on Monday expressed support for the president’s action, insisting it was within constitutional bounds, the majority of demonstrators this week are demanding a reversal of the suspension and the reinstatement of the elected government.
Meanwhile, governors of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to which Fubara belongs, have rejected the emergency rule declaration, describing it as an unconstitutional overreach. The party has initiated legal proceedings to challenge the federal government’s decision in court.
