Hundreds of women in Rivers State staged a passionate protest against President Bola Tinubu's declaration of a State of Emergency in the state. The protest, organized by the Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group, saw the women marching from Isaac Boro Park in Mile 1 to Garrison Junction along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, causing significant traffic disruption.
The protesters, led by Dr. Nancy Chidi Nwankwo, Tamunobelema D. West, and Cynthia Amadi, rallied to demand the restoration of democratic rule in the state and the lifting of the emergency decree. They called for the reinstatement of the elected governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, accusing the move of being politically motivated and undermining the state's democracy.
In a statement, Dr. Nwankwo emphasized that the state of emergency was unjustly imposed and not based on any legitimate threat to national security. She described the actions of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), the Sole Administrator appointed to oversee the state, as a power grab that went beyond the limits of his role.
"The emergency rule is a political maneuver to subjugate our people, and the appointment of a Sole Administrator is an overreach that betrays the impartiality expected of his office," Nwankwo stated.
The protesters expressed their disbelief at the federal government's decision to impose emergency rule on Rivers, while other states with ongoing security challenges, such as Borno, Yobe, and Zamfara, remained relatively unaffected by similar measures.
"We reject this blatant political invasion and the imposition of emergency rule in its entirety," Nwankwo added, calling on President Tinubu to lift the emergency rule and restore democratic governance in the state.
The protest, which remained peaceful despite efforts by the police to disperse the crowd, highlighted the growing frustration among Rivers residents, particularly women, over what they see as the unjust treatment of their state.
