Hundreds of women in Rivers State walked out of an empowerment event in Port Harcourt on Friday, May 2, 2025, after organisers failed to present the First Lady of Nigeria or the wife of the state governor, Lady Valerie Sim-Fubara.
The event, held at the EUI Event Centre in GRA, was part of the “Renewed Hope Initiative” organised by the office of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. It was meant to empower 500 women with various items.
The women, dressed in traditional attire, expected to see the First Lady or the governor’s wife. But when Dr Theresa Ibas, wife of the State Sole Administrator, was asked to speak, the women became upset.
They began chanting, “We want SIM!” and “We want Valerie Fubara!” referring to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his wife.
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One woman told reporters, “We were told the First Lady of Nigeria would be here. If not her, then the wife of our governor should speak to us. Not someone representing someone who doesn’t represent us.”
Another protester, Favour Ekpeye, explained that the women were not rejecting Senator Tinubu but were unhappy about the substitution.
She said, “The propaganda that we rejected the wife of the president is not true. We came dressed and ready to welcome Her Excellency, Senator Remi Tinubu because we appreciate her efforts. But we stood up and left because we are strong women and we support our governor.”
Ekpeye added, “We have a President that we support, and we have our ‘mummy of the nation’ that we love. But we also know our First Lady in Rivers, and that is Lady Valerie Sim-Fubara.”
Attempts by the organisers to calm the crowd failed as the women continued chanting and gradually left the venue.