![Drama as Rivers women walk out at Remi Tinubu empowerment programme [Channels TV]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process//smp-images-production/pulse.ng/02052025/f9b1e97a-e14f-454b-ba1b-cc940d339b4e.jpg?operations=autocrop(1042:580))
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A mild drama ensued at the Renewed Hope Initiative empowerment programme venue in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, as a group of women staged a walkout while the event was ongoing.
The programme, held on Friday, May 2, 2025, was hosted by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in partnership with the office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About 500 women were billed to receive empowerment items at the occasion
However, the event suffered a brief disruption when the Wife of the Rivers State Administrator, Theresa Ibas, was invited to deliver a speech.
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Rising in protest, a group of aggrieved women staged a walk while chanting, “Bring back Fubara, we don’t know Ibas.”
The protesters demanded the reinstatement of suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, so that his wife, Valerie, could address them. They insisted that the suspended governor's wife should address them rather than Ibas's wife.
Though the protesters continued their agitation outside the venue, the programme proceeded unhindered indoors, with the administrator’s wife delivering the speech on behalf of the First Lady.
Tinubu said the scheme has already been completed in the North Central zone, with the Rivers State event marking its conclusion in the South-South region.
According to her, the initiative was part of a broader national programme targeting 18,500 women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Beneficiaries received items such as freezers, gas cookers with ovens, grinding machines, and generators.
“These tools are designed to help our women establish and grow successful businesses, contributing to the nation’s prosperity.
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“This program reflects the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritizes inclusivity, economic growth, and sustainable development—particularly for women,” the First Lady said.