Port Harcourt – Hundreds of black-clad protesters flooded the streets of Port Harcourt on Tuesday, demanding the immediate reinstatement of suspended Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, his deputy, Dr. Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly.
The demonstrators, a coalition of men, women, and youth marched peacefully through key roads in the capital city, urging President Bola Tinubu to lift what they described as an “unjust state of emergency” and to return the reins of governance to elected officials.
Their message was loud and unmistakable, as placards carried by protesters read: “Tinubu, Please Bring Back Our Governor,” “Fubara Is Our Governor,” “Leave Rivers State Alone,” and “Wike, Nobody Disturbed Your 8 Years Rule. God Is Watching You.”
The mass action is the latest in a series of protests and counter-protests triggered by the Federal Government’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers and the subsequent appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas as the state’s sole administrator.
Dr. Agnes Wariboko, a private medical practitioner who joined the march, told reporters that the demonstration was a spontaneous outcry against what she described as the unlawful and politically motivated removal of their elected governor.
“Rivers people have become a national joke because of this political crisis,” she said. “This is not just about Fubara – it’s about our dignity as a state and our right to choose our leaders without interference.”
Another protester, Mrs. Kate Chinwo Ndamati, accused Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, of orchestrating the political chaos in Rivers out of envy and a desire to maintain control over the state’s finances.
“Fubara is achieving more in months than Wike did in years, and that’s the real reason behind this drama,” Ndamati alleged. “We appeal to President Tinubu to restore democracy in Rivers. Let the people’s mandate be respected.”
In a dramatic show of political loyalty, protesters declared their willingness to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027 – if he heeds their demand to recall Governor Fubara and end the federal intervention in the state.
The standoff in Rivers State continues to draw national attention, as concerns mount over the implications of federal overreach, intra-party conflict, and democratic backsliding in one of Nigeria’s most politically sensitive regions.
