THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised a group of women who walked out during an empowerment event organised by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu in Port Harcourt, calling the act “disturbing and embarrassing.”
The protest happened on Friday at the EUI Event Centre and was reportedly led by women loyal to the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Some of the protesters, said to include sacked local government vice chairpersons, left the venue while chanting pro-Fubara slogans.
They demanded that Governor Fubara’s wife, Valerie, address them instead of the wife of the state’s administrator, Mrs Theresa Ibas. Despite the protest, the event continued inside, with Mrs Ibas speaking on behalf of the First Lady.
Reacting to the incident in a statement released on Saturday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Minister Wike, currently on official engagements in China, expressed disappointment over what he termed a “show of shame.”
“This incident is very disturbing and embarrassing,” Wike stated. “An insult on anyone representing the First Lady of Nigeria at an event is a direct insult on the office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As a leader in Rivers State, I apologise.”
The FCT Minister urged supporters of the suspended governor to desist from actions that ridicule the state and cautioned Siminalayi Fubara to be transparent about his political intentions.
He said, “It is not enough to visit people and plead for peace. Those who genuinely want peace must work and act for it.
“These are the same people who claim to want peace, yet they sponsor individuals to insult everyone, including the president and his wife. How can you plead for peace while orchestrating actions that undermine it?”
Wike added that sincerity is essential for true reconciliation and warned that political gimmicks and public embarrassment would only escalate tensions.
“All those shenanigans won’t bring peace. I am sure they know that because they are not sincere with their up-and-down pleadings,” he said. “As for me and those who subscribe to my leadership, we condemn in totality that disgraceful conduct. We apologise to our First Lady for the embarrassment caused by a few individuals who do not represent the character or ideals of the Rivers people.”
The event, part of the Renewed Hope Initiative, was aimed at empowering 500 women across Rivers State with support items and training. The programme is a collaboration between the Office of the First Lady and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Senator Tinubu, in her remarks at the event, noted that the empowerment programme had already been concluded in the North Central zone, with the Rivers State edition marking the conclusion of the South-South phase.