Women Protest Emergency Rule in Rivers State, Demand Restoration of Democracy

Hundreds of women in Rivers State took to the streets on Monday to protest the recent declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu, demanding an immediate return to democratic governance.

The demonstrators, marching under the banner of Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group, began their protest at Isaac Boro Park and moved to Garrison Junction along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, temporarily disrupting traffic. The women, led by Dr. Nancy Chidi Nwankwo and others, defied police barricades in a peaceful yet determined show of resistance.

In a public statement, the group described the emergency rule as politically motivated and unnecessary, citing the absence of any credible security threat in the state. They accused the federal government of targeting Rivers while ignoring more severe crises in states such as Borno, Kaduna, and Zamfara.

The protesters also criticized the actions of the appointed Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), claiming his decisions have exceeded the mandate of his interim role and reflect an undemocratic power grab.

Calling the federal intervention a “blatant political invasion,” the women demanded the reinstatement of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the full return of democratic institutions. They also urged prominent Nigerian leaders and former presidents to intervene and press for the reversal of the emergency rule.

Vowing to continue their peaceful protests, the women insisted that Rivers State must not be turned into a testing ground for what they termed “autocratic rule under the guise of national security”