A recent controversy has erupted in Nigeria after a group of women from Rivers State walked out of an empowerment program organized by the wife of President Bola Tinubu. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, criticized the women’s actions, calling them “disturbing and embarrassing.” However, the women have fired back, accusing Wike of spinning the narrative to suit his own purposes.
The incident occurred on Friday during a women’s initiative empowerment program in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State. The women, who are part of the Rivers Professional Women League (RPWL), reportedly walked out of the program after they were told that the wife of the sole administrator, Theresa Ibas, would be addressing them on behalf of the president’s wife. The women claimed that they were misinformed that the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fatima Abass, would be speaking at the event.
Wike, in a statement released by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, condemned the women’s actions, saying that they were not sincere in their pleas for peace. “These are the same people pleading for peace, but at the same time doing things that are contrary to what they are pleading for,” Wike said. “How can you say you want peace and, at the same time, you are sponsoring people to insult everyone, including the President and his wife?”
The women responded swiftly, denying Wike’s claims and accusing him of trying to blackmail them. They stated that Wike has been devoting too much time to activities in Rivers State, which is not his primary area of assignment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The women also emphasized that they did not walk out on the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, or disrespect her husband, President Bola Tinubu, as Wike had claimed.
The women’s statement, signed by their president, Nimi Fiberisima, secretary, Jennifer Boms Wolugbom, and director of publicity, Tambari Menete, said that Wike’s narrative was an “imaginative spinning” to blackmail Rivers people. They also noted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who has been embarking on a reconciliation process, did not direct them to take any action. “The women are just organic supporters who do not want to be taken for a ride,” they said.
The incident has sparked a heated debate in Nigeria, with many questioning Wike’s motives and the women’s actions. As the controversy continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved. One thing is certain, however: the incident has highlighted the complex and often contentious nature of politics in Nigeria, where different interests and agendas often collide.
