Pro-Emergency Rule Protest Rocks Port Harcourt As Women Back Rivers Sole Administrator

Scores of women, clad in white garments and chanting solidarity songs, on Monday staged a mass protest in the heart of Port Harcourt in support of the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State and the appointment of Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as sole administrator of the oil-rich state.

The women, armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Emergency Rule Is Constitutional”, “Prosecute Assembly Bombers”, and “Support Sole Administrator”, marched through major streets of the city, demanding the immediate prosecution of those behind the violent attacks on the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.

According to the women, the move by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dissolve democratic structures in the state and install a sole administrator was not only constitutional but necessary to restore law and order amid what they described as “ungovernable confusion” triggered by political gladiators loyal to suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

One of the leaders of the protest, who gave her name simply as Mama Grace, said the women decided to rise in defence of peace, justice and order in Rivers. “We cannot fold our arms while people burn our Assembly and call it democracy,” she said.

“We are mothers and we know the pain of chaos. Ibok-Ete Ibas is a man of discipline, and we support him to clean up the mess.”

OSUN DEFENDER reports that this is coming after a group of women in Rivers protested on April 11, 2025 against the suspension of Siminalayi Fubara, the governor, and the declaration of emergency rule in the state by President Bola Tinubu.

The enraged women matched from Isaac Boro Park in Mile 1 to Garrison Junction along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, causing obstruction of movement of the ever-busy road.

The protesters under the platform of Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group said the essence of the protest is to liberate Rivers from the state of emergency and restore the displaced democratic rule.

Sodiq Lawal

Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.

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