The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has strongly condemned the walkout staged by a group of women during an empowerment programme hosted by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in Port Harcourt, describing the incident as “disturbing and embarrassing.”
The protest, reportedly led by some sacked Local Government Vice Chairmen loyal to the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, took place during the Renewed Hope Initiative empowerment programme at the EUI Event Centre in GRA, Port Harcourt. The event was designed to benefit 500 women with various empowerment items.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike—currently in China on official duties—expressed deep displeasure over what he called an insult to the Office of the First Lady and, by extension, the Presidency.
“Insult on anyone representing the First Lady of Nigeria in 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, and as a leader in Rivers State, I apologize,” Wike said.
He cautioned supporters of the suspended governor to stop bringing shame upon the state, accusing them of duplicity in their public calls for peace while allegedly orchestrating disrespectful acts behind the scenes.
“It is not enough to be visiting people to plead for peace, those who genuinely want peace work and act for it,” Wike stated. “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?”
Wike urged Fubara to be honest and transparent with President Tinubu about his true intentions, warning that the “shenanigans” of his loyalists would not bring about peace.
“As for me and those who subscribe to my leadership, we condemn in totality that yesterday’s show of shame and we apologize to our First Lady for the embarrassing conduct of those few women who do not represent the characters and ideals of the people of Rivers State,” he concluded.
