A group of women on Friday swarmed Port Harcourt’s Aba Road neighbourhood, calling for the reinstatement of Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor of Rivers State, and Ngozi Odu, his deputy.
The protest, which began along the major road and advanced to the Rivers State Government House, featured placards with bold inscriptions such as “Bring back Fubara”, “Save our democracy”, “Is the law different for Rivers State?”, and “God of justice, arise for Rivers State.”
The women, who identified as mothers and spouses, chanted songs of solidarity as they made a direct plea to President Bola Tinubu to restore all democratic institutions in the state and revoke Governor Fubara’s suspension.
Declaring that the people of Rivers deserved better than what they called an undemocratic system, they denounced what they called “unconstitutional military rule masked as a state of emergency.”
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Some of the protesters and leaders who spoke to the media expressed their frustration over the ongoing political crisis in the state. They noted that despite the situation, Governor Fubara has continued to work, delivering the dividends of democracy.
“We are a peaceful people and do not deserve this kind of injustice. The governor has been doing his job despite the distractions. What is happening now is not democracy,” one of the protesters said.
Women of different ages joined the march, and the protest stayed peaceful. Protest leaders made it clear that their action was about defending the state’s democratic values, not politics.
“We are here to defend our votes and the sanctity of our democracy. This is beyond Fubara; it’s about justice and the future of Rivers State,” one of the leaders noted.
The women had earlier held prayers at Isaac Boro Park before progressing with the march on Aba Road.
