Rivers State women have staged a dramatic walkout on Mrs. Theresa Ibas, wife of the state's sole administrator, during an empowerment programme at the EUI Centre in Port Harcourt, in what observers describe as growing resistance to the federal government's emergency rule in the state.

The incident, captured in viral videos circulating on social media, showed scores of women exiting the venue en masse while vocally expressing support for suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and current All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, has praised the women's actions, describing it as proof that "Rivers State is not a conquered state" and that its people can stand against perceived injustice.

"The walkout has nothing to do with either Senator Tinubu, the First Lady, but is a demonstration against the wickedness being meted out to Rivers State and her people," Eze stated.

Drawing historical parallels, Eze compared the protest to the women's uprising of 1929 during British colonial rule, when Nigerian women successfully resisted tax impositions. "I am very convinced that with what these women have done, Governor Sim Fubara will soon be restored to his office without further hesitation," he added.

The APC chieftain further alleged that the emergency rule and governor's suspension were politically motivated rather than security-related as officially claimed. According to Eze, the federal intervention is "a power play aimed at currying undue political advantage ahead of 2027, with the common patrimony of Rivers people at risk."

He questioned President Tinubu's sincerity, suggesting that if security concerns were genuine, similar measures would have been taken in other states facing security challenges like Edo, Benue, Zamfara, Plateau, and Borno.

In a controversial claim, Eze suggested financial motives behind the intervention: "They heard Governor Sim Fubara left over ₦250 billion in Government House, and they want to collect and share it among themselves before calling him to come back."

The protest highlights escalating tensions in Rivers State following the federal government's declaration of emergency rule and the appointment of retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator, a move that has sparked debate about federal powers versus state autonomy.