Tonye Cole Sues Nyesom Wike for ₦20 Billion Over Alleged Defamation on Channels TV
Tonye Cole, former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has filed a ₦20 billion defamation lawsuit against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over what he described as “baseless and malicious statements” made during a national television broadcast.
According to documents obtained by PulseNets, the suit stems from comments allegedly made by Mr Wike during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 18, 2025.
Through his legal counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), Mr Cole accused the FCT Minister of making “very damaging, malicious, and unfounded statements” that painted him as corrupt and dishonest.
“You called our client a thief, accused him of stealing state resources, and claimed he sold Rivers State gas for $308 million — all of which are completely false,” the letter stated.
PulseNets learnt that the remarks, which were broadcast across national and international audiences, allegedly caused Mr Cole “severe reputational damage, emotional distress, and loss of goodwill.”
“The words you uttered — and caused Channels Television to air to millions globally — portrayed our client as a dishonest, fraudulent, and morally bankrupt man,” the letter further noted.
Mr Cole’s legal representatives told PulseNets that the defamatory content remains publicly accessible on Channels Television’s official YouTube channel, thereby “continuing to cause ongoing reputational harm.”
The former APC candidate accused Mr Wike of acting “recklessly and in bad faith,” stressing that the comments were made “without any factual or legal basis whatsoever.”
His lawyers have demanded that Mr Wike retract the statements and issue a public apology, both in writing and via the same platforms where the allegations were aired — including a live broadcast on Channels Television and in at least three national newspapers — within 14 days of receiving the letter.
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Additionally, the letter demanded ₦20 billion in damages as compensation for the alleged defamation, along with a written undertaking from the FCT Minister to refrain from making any further defamatory remarks.
“Failure to comply,” the legal team warned, “will compel us to deploy every available legal weapon in our armoury to seek justice.”
