On Monday, April 14, 2025, hundreds of women dressed in white took to the streets of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in a dramatic show of support for the federal declaration of a state of emergency in the state. The women gathered at the Garrison Flyover by 8 a.m. and marched toward the Government House, chanting solidarity songs and waving placards with inscriptions like “State of Emergency is Constitutional” and “We Don’t Want Fubara.”
The peaceful protest was led by Ifeyinwa Aguma, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Social Welfare and a known ally of the current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. The group expressed full support for the newly appointed Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Retd), who now oversees the state’s affairs following President Tinubu’s emergency declaration
The rally reflects the growing divide within the state over the political crisis that has engulfed Rivers since March. President Tinubu declared a six-month state of emergency, citing political instability, governance breakdown, and rising security threats, including sabotage of oil infrastructure.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state legislature were suspended as part of the emergency intervention, a move that has drawn mixed reactions from across the country.
Just days before this pro-emergency rally, another group of women under the banner ‘Rivers Women for Sim’ staged a counter-protest. They rejected the emergency declaration and demanded the reinstatement of Governor Fubara, describing the federal government’s action as unconstitutional and politically motivated.
These contrasting protests underscore the polarized state of public opinion in Rivers, with different factions aligning themselves with opposing political camps. For many citizens, the power struggle represents more than politics, it reflects the broader fight for control over state resources, governance, and the future of federalism in Nigeria.
