“Like Killing One’s Goat And Showing The Stick”: Rivers Women Slam Wike’s Spin, Say Walkout Was Against Ibas’ Wife, Not First Lady Tinubu

The Rivers Professional Women League has condemned what it described as a “manipulative and overburdened” response from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, regarding the recent walkout incident during a women’s event in Rivers State.

In a strongly worded statement signed by President Nimi Fiberisima, Esq., Secretary Jennifer Boms Wolugbom, and Director of Publicity Tambari Menete, the group clarified that the walkout was not in protest against the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, but a response to what they saw as the inappropriate representation of the First Lady by Mrs. Theresa Ibas, wife of the Rivers State Sole Administrator.

The statement criticized Wike for attempting to “spin the narrative” to serve his political interests, accusing him of exploiting Rivers people’s reactions against perceived injustice to discredit the incumbent governor before President Bola Tinubu.

“We read the reactions on the Rivers women walkout on Mrs. Theresa Ibas and were appalled by the desperate attempt to twist the story,” the group stated. “It is like killing one’s goat and then showing him the stick used to do it.”

The League emphasized that Rivers women hold the First Lady and her Renewed Hope Initiative in the highest esteem and would never intentionally disrespect her or the President.

The group further alleged that the women had been misinformed that the First Lady would be represented by the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hajiya Fatima Abbas Tajudeen, only to be surprised by the appearance of Mrs. Ibas. This, they said, was the root cause of the confusion.

They also cited a recent event in Delta State where nursing students voiced dissatisfaction in the presence of the First Lady, without any political fallout or backlash against the governor there. “Why is it always different in Rivers State when Wike is involved?” they questioned.

The League concluded by urging political actors to respect the intelligence and peaceful disposition of Rivers women and warned against the continued use of blackmail as a political weapon.

“Political positions are transient. In time, this phase will pass and history will remember who stood on the right side,” the statement read.