PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has challenged former federal lawmaker Elder Chidi Wihioka to make public the documents he reportedly claims could establish that former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, is not an Ikwerre son.
Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), made the call in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, in response to Wihioka’s reported remarks on Amaechi’s ancestry and the political contest ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wihioka was reported to have claimed that he possessed documents relating to the historical balkanisation of Ikwerre during discussions surrounding the creation of Bayelsa State. He reportedly said the documents would support his position on Amaechi’s Ikwerre identity. The documents have not been publicly presented in the reports reviewed.
Eze urged Wihioka to release the materials for public examination, arguing that claims concerning ancestry and historical identity should be assessed through documentary evidence and independent historical scrutiny rather than political declarations.
“If Elder Chidi Wihioka genuinely possesses documents capable of disproving Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s Ikwerre ancestry, let him publish them and subject them to independent historical scrutiny,” Eze said.
He questioned the basis for raising the identity claim in the context of contemporary political disagreements and argued that ethnic identity should not be used as an instrument of political rivalry.
“Identity should not become a political weapon that one deploys only when it is convenient,” he said.
Eze also rejected Wihioka’s reported remarks about Amaechi being “caged” ahead of the 2027 elections, describing them as inconsistent with the principle that electoral choices belong to voters.
He said political actors should not assume authority over the votes of Ikwerre residents or determine the political choices of the people through threats and declarations.
“Let it be clearly understood: Ikwerre people own their votes. Not Wike. Not Wihioka. Not Amaechi. Not any political godfather,” Eze said.
The ADC chieftain further questioned the reported political history between Wihioka and Amaechi, asking whether the former lawmaker’s present position represented a departure from earlier political associations.
He called for any allegations concerning past political relationships or benefits to be supported by verifiable facts rather than speculation.
Eze maintained that the debate over Amaechi’s identity and political future should be addressed through evidence, transparency and respect for the electorate.
He urged Wihioka to identify the authorship, date and historical basis of the documents he reportedly referenced, adding that their contents should be examined before conclusions are drawn.
The controversy comes amid political manoeuvring in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections, with public exchanges involving Amaechi, Wihioka and other political actors attracting attention.
Wihioka’s reported claims and Eze’s response remain part of the ongoing political debate. The documents referenced by Wihioka have not been made available in the reports reviewed, and no substantive response from Amaechi or his representatives was identified in the coverage examined.
