NIGERIA: Rivers Women Flood Streets In Rare Protest Backing Emergency Rule

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Some women took to the streets of Port Harcourt on Monday morning, in an unusual show of support for the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Clad entirely in white attire, the women converged at the Garrison Bus Stop as early as 8 a.m., singing solidarity songs and waving white flags, in what appeared to be a coordinated rally backing the controversial move by the federal authorities to impose emergency rule.

Their chants echoed along Aba Road as they marched in unison towards the Government House, demonstrating their allegiance to the newly appointed Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).

Ibas was named Sole Administrator following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The rally, which caught many residents by surprise, marks a rare occasion where a civilian population publicly supports an emergency rule.

One of the protesters, who identified herself as Madam Beatrice Wokoma, told reporters, “We are tired of the political chaos. All we want is peace and order. We believe Vice Admiral Ibas will stabilize the state.”

This latest march comes on the heels of a rival protest held last week by a group of women under the banner of ‘Rivers Women for Sim,’ who fiercely opposed the suspension of Governor Fubara and denounced the emergency rule as unconstitutional and oppressive.

Political observers believe the dueling demonstrations reflect deepening divisions within the state, as both sides jostle for legitimacy amid the unfolding crisis.

While the federal government insists the emergency rule was necessary to prevent a total breakdown of law and order, critics argue it is a veiled move to override the democratic process and silence dissent.