By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, P/Harcourt
RIVERS: A coalition of women across Rivers State has taken to the streets in a bold show of resistance against the imposition of a state of emergency in the oil-rich state, describing it as a political assault on democracy and a dangerous precedent for the country.
The women, under the umbrella of the Rivers Women Unite Group, staged a “Liberation Walk” in Port Harcourt, denouncing the federal government’s appointment of a sole administrator in place of the elected governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. They insist the move is unconstitutional and unjustifiable, given the state’s relative peace compared to the worsening security crises in other parts of Nigeria.
“The state of emergency declared in Rivers is not based on any credible security threat but rather on a political script being played out to silence the people and subvert democracy,” said Dr. Nancy Chidi Nwankwo, who read the statement on behalf of the protesting women. “This is not governance; it is occupation.”
They took particular aim at Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), the sole administrator, accusing him of overstepping his mandate and acting with the impunity of a political conqueror. “His actions have betrayed the neutrality expected of a caretaker and revealed the true agenda behind this so-called emergency—power hijack,” said Tamunobelema West, another signatory.
The women contrasted the situation in Rivers with the dire security threats in states like Borno, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Benue, where terrorist attacks and mass killings are frequent, yet no similar federal action has been taken.
“If the National Assembly truly wanted to prevent lawlessness, they would have acted long ago in states plagued by bloodshed. Rivers has not recorded any such fatal breakdown. What then justifies this emergency?” asked Cynthia Amadi, another voice in the protest.
The group issued a five-point demand, foremost of which was an appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately reinstate Governor Fubara and all democratic institutions. They also called on respected Nigerian statesmen, including former presidents and diplomats, to intervene and stop what they called “a politically motivated hijack.”
They warned that women and youths in Rivers will not remain silent and vowed to continue peaceful resistance until democracy is restored.
“There is no justification for emergency rule in a state that has remained peaceful. The narrative being sold is fictitious and designed to validate a political takeover,” the statement concluded.
The protest is one of the most coordinated civilian responses yet to the emergency rule in Rivers, signaling growing dissent and raising concerns over the future of democratic governance in Nigeria.