A major empowerment program under the “Renewed Hope Initiative” spearheaded by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Remi Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ended in chaos on Thursday 1st May, 2025, as hundreds of Rivers State women staged a walkout in protest.
The event, which was expected to distribute empowerment items to five hundred (500) Rivers women, took an unexpected turn when Mrs. Theresa Ibas, wife of the Sole Administrator, was announced to speak on behalf of the First Lady.
The announcement triggered loud protests from the audience, many of whom demanded that either Senator Tinubu herself or Lady Valerie Fubara, wife of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, should address them.
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Chants of “We want Valerie Sim-Fubara or Remi Tinubu to address us, not the wife of an imposter! We want SIM!” echoed through the venue as participants expressed their dissatisfaction.
Eyewitnesses reported that many of the women felt deceived after being told that Senator Remi Tinubu would attend in person. The absence of Lady Valerie Fubara from the programme lineup further angered the crowd.
“If the First Lady of the country could not make it, then at least our own First Lady, Lady Valerie Fubara, should have been allowed to represent her. Instead, we got someone who doesn’t even represent us,” said one protester before joining others in exiting the venue.
Despite appeals from the organisers to maintain order, the women walked out en masse, effectively halting the event.
The protest is being interpreted by analysts as a bold rejection of political interference and a show of loyalty to Governor Fubara and his administration. The public display also reflects mounting tension in Rivers State over federal involvement in local governance structures.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Senator Remi Tinubu nor her media team had issued a statement regarding the incident.
