By Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi
On April 29th, I published a reflection in African Heritage Magazine titled SIM-Card Politics of Defection: The Buck Stops with the Masses. In that piece, I referenced a piercing statement by former Governor and Minister, Rotimi Amaechi: “Nigerians don’t react to anything.” More than a complaint, his words served as a provocation, a mirror held up to a nation too often resigned to silence.
Barely days later, a powerful counter-narrative began to unfold, led not by traditional political actors, but by the women and girls of Nigeria. In a bold and unprecedented display, Rivers State women staged a walkout during an event meant to feature an address by the First Lady. Similarly, a few weeks ago in Agbor, Delta State, students at the School of Nursing stood their ground, respectfully but unmistakably voicing their frustration during another engagement with the “First Lady na your mama be that” saga.
These moments were not about rudeness or rebellion. They were rooted in deep-seated disillusionment and a growing refusal to accept platitudes in place of progress. They were an indictment of a system that thrives on optics and rewards sycophancy at the expense of honest feedback and accountability. Most importantly, they were signals unmistakable, unignorable that the people are no longer content with silence.
This political discomfort did not stem from orchestrated opposition. It was not a ploy by so-called enemies of the state. It was the voice of the people, raw, authentic, and rising. The newly imposed Rivers State leadership’s attempt to orchestrate political succession through manipulation rather than merit has not only missed the mark, it has sparked a political awakening.
Let us be clear: governance is not a theatre production. Loyalty cannot be mandated, and public trust cannot be manufactured. When political elites surround themselves with echo chambers, choosing praise singers over truth-tellers, they fail to see the storm building beneath the surface.
What happened in Rivers and Delta is emblematic of something far greater. The women of Rivers and the girls in Agbor are not just angry. They are awake. Their actions echo the legacies of heroines like Queen Amina, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and the women of the 1929 Aba Revolt. These are not isolated protests. They are ripples of a coming wave.
Are we finally shaking off political apathy? Are Nigerian women and girls becoming the vanguard of democratic revival? If so, then Rotimi Amaechi’s remark is being powerfully refuted. Nigerians do react. They are reacting. And they are doing so with courage and clarity.
This may well be the dawn of a new political consciousness. A Nigeria where accountability is demanded, not begged for. A nation where respect is earned through service, not symbolism. And if this awakening is indeed led by the women and youth, then we may be witnessing the birth of a democratic renaissance.
The awakening has begun. Let us rise with it.
Hon. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi (2023 Senate Candidate, Delta North and ADC Deputy National Chairman) – Diaspora Engagement
