PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – A scheduled empowerment programme spearheaded by Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, in Port Harcourt descended into chaos on Friday, May 2, 2025, when a group of women staged a walkout, demanding the reinstatement of suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The event, held under the Renewed Hope Initiative in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, was meant to distribute empowerment items to women across the state.
Tensions flared when Theresa Ibas, wife of the state’s sole administrator, Ibok-Ette Ibas, was introduced to speak on behalf of Remi Tinubu.
As she approached the podium, several attendees abruptly exited the venue, chanting slogans including, “Bring back Fubara, we don’t know Ibas,” and “We want Sim.”
The protest continued outside the event centre, where demonstrators waved banners and repeated calls for the return of the democratically elected governor.
Inside, Mrs. Ibas proceeded with her speech amid a visibly thinned audience.
Friday’s disruption is the latest in a string of public displays of discontent since President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, citing protracted political instability.
The president suspended Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the entire state assembly for six months, appointing retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas as sole administrator.
In the weeks following his appointment, Ibas moved swiftly to consolidate power, suspending all political appointees loyal to Fubara and dissolving key state boards — a move that has sparked widespread criticism from civil society and political stakeholders.
The walkout marks a growing wave of resistance among residents who view the current administration as illegitimate.
Numerous protests have erupted in recent weeks across Rivers, with demonstrators demanding Fubara’s reinstatement and a return to democratic governance.
