Tonye Cole Sues Wike for N40.5bn over ‘Defamatory’ Remarks

Tonye Cole, former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, has filed a defamation suit against Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

The suit, marked CV/4502/25, was filed before the FCT high court on Friday, November 7.

Previously, in a letter dated October 8, Cole, through his lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, accused Wike of making “very damaging, malicious and unfounded defamatory statements” during a live broadcast of Channels Television’s Politics Today programme aired on September 18, 2025.

According to the letter, Wike allegedly described Cole as a thief, accused him of stealing state resources, and claimed that he sold Rivers state gas for $308 million.

Okutepa said the remarks, which were broadcast nationally and internationally, have caused “severe reputational damage, mental distress, and loss of goodwill” to their client.

The lawyer noted that the interview remains publicly available on Channels Television’s official YouTube channel and continues to “cause ongoing reputational injury” to Cole.

He further accused Wike of “acting recklessly and in bad faith”, insisting that the former Rivers governor’s statements were made “without any factual or legal basis whatsoever”.

Cole had demanded that Wike retract the statements and issue a public apology both in writing and through the same media platforms, including a live broadcast on Channels Television and publications in at least three national newspapers, within 14 days of receiving the letter.

However, since the FCT minister failed to retract the allegations, Cole instituted a legal action, which has Wike and Channels Incorporated Ltd. as first and second defendants, respectively.

In his statement of claim, Cole said Wike alleged that he “crippled the resources” of Rivers along with Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of the state, taking over public property, including the Olympia Hotel, among many others.

He accused Channels Television of broadcasting and republishing the remarks without due diligence.

Cole said the allegations contradict his reputation as a global business leader and philanthropist.

Consequently, he is seeking a declaration of the court that the statements made by Wike “are false, malicious, offensive, and defamatory” and were calculated and intended to disparage “his personal, professional, and public capacity”.

He is asking the court to compel the defendants to retract in full the alleged defamatory publications and broadcasts disseminated across various online and media platforms.

Cole also wants the court to order that every copy, clip, or rebroadcast of the said material be permanently removed from all such platforms.

In addition, he is praying for an order directing the defendants to issue and circulate a press statement acknowledging the falsity and impropriety of the defamatory statements and to give the retraction the same level of prominence, visibility, and duration as the original broadcast and publications.

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The claimant further seeks an order compelling the defendants to tender an unreserved and public apology to him through a live broadcast on Channels TV Politics Today, as well as through publication in not fewer than five national daily newspapers with wide circulation.

He is also asking the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, and associates from publishing or disseminating any further defamatory material or statements about him.

In addition to these orders, the claimant is demanding N40 billion in general damages and N500 million in litigation costs.