PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: Former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has dismissed as falsehood the claim by former federal lawmaker, Elder Chidi Wihioka, that former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, frustrated plans to site the Dangote Refinery in Rivers State.
Wihioka, in a recent media interview, alleged that businessman Aliko Dangote had initially considered Rivers State for the refinery before Amaechi, as governor, allegedly frustrated the plan. He claimed Amaechi kept Dangote waiting for hours, failed to negotiate benefits for Rivers people, and instead made personal demands, leading to the project being relocated to Lagos.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, August 29, 2025, Chief Eze described Wihioka’s remarks as a “cocktail of lies” and a deliberate attempt to malign Amaechi. He said the former lawmaker’s claims were “baseless, malicious, and morally depraved,” stressing that they do not reflect the truth of events.
“Dangote never planned to build a refinery in Rivers State. What he sought to establish was a gas plant in Port Harcourt. Amaechi personally took him to a suitable site in Onne and even promised to build a bridge to aid logistics. Despite these assurances, Dangote never returned to execute the project,” Eze said.
He maintained that Wihioka was not privy to discussions between Dangote and Amaechi, and therefore lacked the credibility to speak on the matter. He described the allegations as a product of “political mischief” and accused Wihioka of betraying Amaechi despite benefitting from his political support in the past.
Chief Eze further recalled that Amaechi’s administration was marked by significant investments in agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure, which boosted the economy of Rivers State and created jobs for young people. He argued that Rivers State under Amaechi was an investment hub that attracted both local and international investors, contrary to Wihioka’s claims of hostility to investment.
He urged the public to disregard Wihioka’s statements, describing him as “a political merchant driven by self-interest,” and assured that no amount of propaganda would diminish Amaechi’s political legacy.
