Tensions flared in Port Harcourt on Thursday as a large group of women walked out of a women empowerment event at the EUI Centre, staging a bold protest against what they described as political imposition by the federal government.
The protest erupted just as Theresa Ibas, wife of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Retd.), the Sole Administrator appointed under the controversial state of emergency, began her speech. The women, visibly agitated, rose in unison and chanted “We want Sim!”—a clear reference to suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara—as they stormed out of the venue.
The event, organized under the Renewed Hope Initiative, quickly descended into chaos. Video footage shared on X by Port Harcourt Socials captured the moment the women took over the narrative, calling for Valerie Fubara—wife of the suspended governor—to be the only one allowed to speak to them.
Their message was loud and unmistakable: they would not accept the presence or authority of Theresa Ibas, whom they described as “a stranger” and “an impostor.”
“Who is that impostor? Ibas’s wife is addressing Rivers’ women. Who is she? Come on, pack your load, Madam, we don’t want you,” one protester exclaimed passionately.
Another woman added, “We need Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu to come and address us. She is the one we’ve been waiting for. We don’t need a stranger. We want Sim right now. Sim should come today, not tomorrow!”
This walkout is the latest in a series of grassroots protests following President Bola Tinubu’s March suspension of Governor Fubara and the installation of Ibas, a known ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. Many in Rivers State, especially women’s groups, view the move as an illegal hijacking of their democratic process.
The women’s message echoes a broader sentiment building in Rivers: that leadership should not be dictated from above, and that Siminalayi Fubara remains the people’s choice. Their chant—“We want Sim”—is not just a slogan; it’s a declaration of resistance.
