Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has described Friday’s walkout on the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, by a group of women as very disturbing and embarrassing.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant, on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike apologised to the First Lady and President Bola Tinubu on behalf of the people of Rivers State.
The former Rivers State governor said, “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 apologise.
“As for me and those who subscribe to my leadership, we condemn in totality that yesterday’s show of shame and we apologise 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”, the statement said.
Wike, who is said to be currently in China for official engagements, accused the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, of sponsoring the women to ridicule Tinubu.
“How can you claim to want peace and at the same time sponsor people to insult everyone, including the President and his wife? All these shenanigans will not bring peace, and I am sure they know that — because they are not sincere in their back-and-forth calls for peace,” the FCT Minister lamented.
Recall that tension rippled through Port Harcourt as a group of women staged a dramatic walkout during an empowerment programme organised by Remi Tinubu.
The event, which was meant to distribute empowerment items to 500 women in the state, took a different turn when Mrs. Theresa Ibas, wife of the Sole Administrator, was invited to speak on behalf of the First Lady.
Eyewitnesses said the mood in the hall shifted almost instantly as her name was announced.
Shortly after, some women, dressed in matching attire, stood up and marched out of the venue, chanting “We want SIM!”, a slogan interpreted by observers as a show of support for Fubara.
The incident caused a mild stir at the centre, drawing the attention of security personnel and officials who tried to manage the situation.
