Nation
Rivers women walkout on Iba’s wife, demand presence of Fubara’s wife
What was meant to be a moment of celebration and empowerment turned into a dramatic protest on Friday, as hundreds of women in Rivers State walked out of a federal government-organised event, demanding recognition for the state’s elected leadership.
The incident occurred at the EUI Event Centre in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Port Harcourt, where the Renewed Hope Initiative, a programme under the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria, had gathered women from across the state for an empowerment scheme targeting 500 beneficiaries.
Expecting to be addressed by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, or at least the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Sim-Fubara, the women were visibly upset when Dr. Theresa Ibas, wife of the state’s recently appointed Sole Administrator, was introduced to speak on behalf of the President’s wife.
Chanting slogans like “We want SIM!” and “We want Valerie Fubara!” the women made it clear that they did not recognise the legitimacy of the Sole Administrator’s wife as a representative of Rivers women. Their chants referenced Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whose ongoing political feud with Abuja-backed forces, including the former governor Nyesom Wike, has divided loyalties across the state.
“We were invited to come and see Her Excellency, Senator Remi Tinubu,” said one of the protesters, visibly disappointed. “But instead, they brought someone we don’t know — someone who doesn’t represent our leadership.”
Another woman, Favour Ekpeye, emphasized that the protest was not an attack on the First Lady herself but a reaction to what they saw as an inappropriate substitution and an undermining of the state’s elected officials.
“We dressed up, wore our wrappers, and came out to show appreciation to our mother of the nation,” Ekpeye explained. “We were happy to welcome her. But we are Rivers women — we know who our governor is, and we know who our First Lady is. It’s Lady Valerie Fubara.”
She continued, “We support our President and his wife for what they’re doing for women. But this is about respect. If she couldn’t come, why not send the wife of our governor? Why ignore the leadership we voted for?”
The walkout, which saw a significant portion of the audience file out of the venue despite pleas from event organisers, underscores the heightened political tensions in Rivers State. The recent appointment of a Sole Administrator by the federal government — seen by many as a move to sideline Governor Fubara — has deepened fractures and fueled public expressions of loyalty to the embattled governor.
Sources within the state’s political circle described the women’s protest as a symbolic rejection of what they called “imposed leadership.” The event, despite the disruption, continued with a reduced audience, as officials distributed the empowerment materials to the remaining women.
For many observers, Friday’s protest was not just about protocol or representation—it was a grassroots political statement from a key constituency in Rivers State. The women made it clear that they stand with Fubara and reject any political arrangement that excludes or disrespects the state’s duly elected leadership.