A women’s empowerment event in Port Harcourt on Friday was disrupted as participants staged a walkout, demanding the reinstatement of suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The event, organized under the Renewed Hope Initiative spearheaded by First Lady Remi Tinubu and supported by the presidential adviser on Sustainable Development Goals, aimed to distribute empowerment items to women in the state.
Tensions escalated when Theresa Ibas, wife of the state’s sole administrator, Ibok-Ette Ibas, was called upon to deliver a speech on behalf of the First Lady.
Her presence triggered chants from a section of the crowd who began protesting outside the venue, shouting, “Bring back Fubara, we don’t know Ibas,” and “We want Sim.”
Despite the demonstration, the programme continued inside, with Mrs. Ibas delivering her remarks uninterrupted.
The protest stems from the political crisis that led President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18.
As part of that declaration, Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the entire state assembly were suspended for six months.
However, Tinubu appointed retired naval officer Ibok-Ette Ibas as the sole administrator, who then dissolved the previous administration’s political appointments.
The suspension has sparked widespread condemnation and growing public outcry, with repeated calls from supporters and civil groups urging the federal government to reinstate Fubara.
