The Rivers Professional Women League (RPWL) has issued a strong rebuttal to comments made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who described their walkout during an empowerment programme in Port Harcourt as “disturbing and embarrassing.”
The incident occurred during an event organized under the Renewed Hope Initiative—the flagship empowerment programme of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. The walkout followed the appearance of Dr. Theresa Ibas, wife of the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, who stood in for the First Lady instead of the earlier communicated representative, Fatima Abass, wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Minister Wike, in a statement released through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, criticized the walkout, accusing the women of hypocrisy and claiming that they were undermining peace efforts while simultaneously insulting the President and his wife. “Those shenanigans won’t bring peace,” he said, describing the incident as a “show of shame.”
In a swift response, the RPWL, led by President Nimi Fiberesima, Secretary Jennifer Boms Wolugbom, and Director of Publicity Tambari Menete, issued a joint statement denouncing Wike’s remarks. They asserted that the walkout was not a protest against the First Lady but a reaction to what they described as a deliberate misrepresentation of the event’s protocols.
“We were mobilized based on the belief that Hajiya Fatima Abbas Tajudeen would represent the First Lady. We arrived prepared and excited, only to be surprised by the appearance of Dr. Ibas,” the RPWL explained. “The discontent expressed was not targeted at the First Lady but at the deceptive coordination of the event.”
The group further accused Wike of attempting to exploit the situation for political gain and cautioned against continued mischaracterization of Rivers women. “It has become common to portray the peaceful nature of Rivers people as a weakness. We reject that narrative,” the statement read.
Emphasizing their support for President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady, the RPWL insisted that their actions were not in any way disrespectful to the First Family. “Rivers women respect and admire the First Lady and her empowerment initiative. Our protest was never against her, but against the dishonesty surrounding the event’s organization.”
The women also defended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, stating categorically that he had no hand in their actions. “We are organic supporters. Our decision was independent. To link our protest to the Governor is both unfair and misleading.”
Referencing a similar incident in Delta State—where nursing students aired grievances in the presence of the First Lady without sparking controversy—the group questioned why Rivers State is continually subjected to politicized interpretations. “Why are things always different in Rivers State just because Wike is a Minister?” they asked.
Concluding their statement, the RPWL warned against further attempts to blackmail Rivers people and emphasized that political office is transient. “Time will tell who stands on the right side of history,” they said.
