By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr. Tonye Patrick Cole, has filed a ₦40 billion defamation lawsuit against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, over alleged false statements made during a live television interview.
Cole, in a statement through his legal representatives, said the remarks made by Wike during Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on September 18, 2025, were “malicious, politically motivated and deliberately intended to tarnish my reputation.”
During the broadcast, Wike had accused Cole of “stealing state resources,” “selling gas assets for $308 million,” and “taking over Olympia Hotel” while serving in a private capacity.
Cole described the allegations as “utterly false,” saying they were aimed at portraying him as corrupt and deceitful before millions of viewers.
“The broadcast gravely injured my reputation, which I have built over decades of professional, philanthropic, and public service,” Cole said.
Human rights lawyer, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, joined the suit as a witness for the claimant. Adeyanju told the court he personally watched the live broadcast and was “shocked by the recklessness of the allegations.”
He faulted both Wike and the TV station for what he described as “a misuse of a national platform to spread unverified and damaging claims,” warning that such actions erode public trust in the media and responsible political communication.
Adeyanju also recalled being a target of Wike’s verbal attacks during another television interview in 2024, where the minister allegedly described him as “one of the people with no job.” He said he tendered that clip as evidence of “a pattern of defamatory conduct.”
Cole said the broadcast had caused him emotional distress and professional harm. He is demanding ₦40 billion in general and aggravated damages, a public apology, and an injunction restraining the defendants from repeating or re-broadcasting the statements.
His lawyers argued that the statements not only injured Cole’s personal dignity but also disrupted international partnerships, as some corporate and philanthropic associates suspended engagements pending clarification of the allegations.
“This case is not about politics but about truth, accountability, and the integrity of public discourse,” Cole said. “Every Nigerian deserves protection from reckless abuse of public platforms.”