In a bold show of defiance and solidarity, thousands of women clad in striking red flooded the streets of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, raising their voices against the political turmoil that has engulfed Rivers State.
Under the banner of the Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group, the demonstrators condemned the recent suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, branding the move unconstitutional and a direct affront to democracy.
Chanting resistance slogans and waving placards with phrases like “Bring Back Governor Fubara”, “We Have Conscience”, and “Rivers Economy Bleeds Under Ibas”, the women called for an immediate end to what they described as a political hijack.
This latest protest follows Monday’s counter-demonstration in support of the emergency measures imposed by President Bola Tinubu, who last month declared a state of emergency in Rivers amid escalating political tensions and a spate of pipeline explosions.
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The declaration led to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state House of Assembly for an initial six-month period.
Tinubu defended his action as a necessary response to “grave security concerns,” appointing Ibas as interim administrator—a decision that has sparked fierce national debate.
While some citizens and groups back the president’s move as a stabilizing measure, critics—including the protesting women and opposition leaders—see it as a dangerous overreach of executive power. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has formally rejected the emergency declaration, taking the matter to court in a bid to restore what they describe as the “will of the people.”
As the political impasse deepens, the streets of Rivers continue to pulse with dissent—loud, passionate, and unrelenting.
