A crowd of women on Friday flooded the Aba road area of Port Harcourt, demanding the reinstatement of the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
The protest, which began along the major road, and advanced to the Rivers State Government House, featured placards with bold inscriptions such as “Bring back Fubara”, “Save our democracy”, “Is the law different for Rivers State?”, and “God of justice, arise for Rivers State.”
Chanting songs of solidarity, the women, who described themselves as mothers and wives, appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to lift the suspension on Governor Fubara and reinstate all democratic institutions in the state.
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They decried what they referred to as “unconstitutional military rule masked as a state of emergency,” insisting that Rivers people deserve better than what they termed an undemocratic arrangement.
Speaking to Channels Television, some of the protesters and leaders expressed their frustration over the ongoing political crisis in the state. They noted that despite the situation, Governor Fubara has continued to work, delivering the dividends of democracy.
“We are a peaceful people and do not deserve this kind of injustice. The governor has been doing his job despite the distractions. What is happening now is not democracy,” one of the protesters, Christiana Tamunomietari, said.
“Bring back Siminalayi Fubara Joseph. It’s our simple assignment — he was constitutionally elected by the people, and our voices must be respected.”
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The demonstration remained peaceful, with women of all ages joining the march. Protest leaders emphasized that their movement was not about politics but about protecting the democratic values of the state.
“Situations which go far beyond the limited powers of a placeholder betray the impartiality expected of his office and reveal the real intention behind his emergency role — a calculated power grab under the guise of national interest,” the leader of the “Reinstate Sim Fubara” Protest Nancy Nwankwo said.
“We find it utterly confounding that the federal authorities in Abuja rely on conjecture and manufactured narratives to descend with the full weight of force on Rivers State. Deploying a sledgehammer to kill a fly while ignoring the dead security emergencies ravaging other states like Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue is a grave injustice.”
The women had earlier held prayers at Isaac Boro Park before progressing with the march on Aba Road.
Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers House of Assembly were suspended in the wake of the months-long political crisis in the oil-rich state.
Tinubu thereafter appointed a sole administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, to run the affairs of the state.
