The women of Rivers State, under the banner of justice and democracy, have rejected the emergency rule in the state, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to restore democratic governance in the state in line with the country’s constitution.
The women who carried placards with different messages, decried the steps taken so far by the sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), in the running of the state, faulting his appointments and actions.
They said:”Rivers State is the heart of the Niger Delta, a region of immense national significance. Peace has prevailed in our communities. We will not allow anyone to steal our voices or subvert our will. Democracy must be restored.”
The group, led by Dr. Nancy Chidi Nwankwo, Tamunobelema D. West and Cynthia Amadi walked along Aba Road, Port Harcourt with hundreds of women, decrying the imposition of emergency rule.
According to Dr. Nancy Chidi Nwankwo:”Imposition is not driven by any genuine threat to national security but is clearly a politically motivated maneuver aimed at subjugating our people and undermining our constitutional democracy.
“The overreach of the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), is a glaring indicator of this political conquest. His actions, which go far beyond the limited powers of a placeholder, betray the impartiality expected of his office and reveal the real intention behind this emergency rule, a calculated power grab under the guise of national interest.
“We find it utterly confounding that the federal authorities in Abuja, relying on conjecture and manufactured narratives, would choose to descend with the full weight of force on Rivers State, deploying a sledgehammer to kill a fly, while ignoring the dire security emergencies ravaging states such as Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue.”
“In these states, terrorists have overrun entire communities, taken control of local governments, and brutally murdered thousands of innocent citizens. Yet, no such declaration of emergency has been made.
“If the National Assembly’s intention was truly to prevent a breakdown of law and order in Rivers State, a state that has remained relatively peaceful and has recorded no fatal incident, why has it failed to take even more decisive action in states where chaos and bloodshed are daily occurrences?
“The unconstitutional and provocative actions of the Sole Administrator further expose the underlying political agenda at play. What we are witnessing is not governance—it is occupation. Not democracy, but autocracy.”
She added:”Today, Rivers people, especially women, are outraged by what is fast becoming a dual system of laws in Nigeria, one for other states, and another, unjust and repressive, for Rivers State. We reject this blatant political invasion and the imposition of emergency rule in its entirety.”
The women, who sang solidarity songs against the suspension of Governor Siminialayi Fubara, appealed to Tinubu to “return of our duly elected governor, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.”
They added:”We demand an end to this unconstitutional military rule in Rivers State, masked as a state of emergency. It is unjustified, uncalled for, and unacceptable.
“We call upon eminent and respected Nigerians—including former Presidents General Abdulsalami Abubakar, General Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, General Muhammadu Buhari, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as well as distinguished diplomats such as Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Dr. Emeka Anyaoku, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, Prof. Tanko Yakassai, Dr. Godknows Boladei Igali, Chief Victor Attah, and Senator David Mark, to urgently intervene and prevail upon President Tinubu to reverse this injustice and restore full democratic governance in Rivers State.
“We declare that the women and youths of Rivers State can no longer remain silent in the face of intimidation, repression, and disenfranchisement. We will continue to rise in peaceful resistance and demand our right to freedom, justice, and self-determination.
“We call on civil society organizations, human rights groups, and the international community to speak out against this assault on democracy. There is no credible security threat in Rivers State to justify this state of emergency. The narrative being peddled is entirely fictitious, crafted to validate a political takeover.”
