BY VICTOR BUORO – A N40 billion suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 Rivers State governorship election, Tonye Patrick Cole against Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and Channels Incorporated Limited will come up for mention at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday, 9 December 2025.
Mr Cole is seeking the amount in damages over alleged defamatory statements made by Mr Wike during a live broadcast on Channels TV’s “Politics Today” on 18th September 2025.
According to the writ of summons in the suit number CV/4502/25
and the attached statement of claim, Mr Cole said Mr Wike’s comments during a live broadcast on Channels TV’s “Politics Today” on 18 September 2025, were false, malicious, offensive, and damaging to his reputation in personal, professional, and public capacities.
Available court documents indicate that Mr Wike referred to Mr Cole in a manner suggesting financial impropriety and mismanagement of State resources, including allegations related to Rivers State gas and the Olympia Hotel.
Led by his counsel, J.S. Okutepa, the Cole’s legal team argued that the statements are defamatory, as they impute dishonesty and wrongdoing, gravely injuring his client’s standing both nationally and internationally.
Consequently, the claimant is seeking N40 billion for alleged damages resulting from what he described as a “malicious, reckless, and unfounded defamatory broadcast and publications,” which caused him injury, humiliation, mental anguish, and reputational harm.
Mr Cole is also seeking N500 million for the cost of the legal action, as well as several injunctive and declaratory reliefs.
These include a declaration that the statements were false and defamatory, an order directing the defendants to retract the claims and remove all copies from all platforms, and a public apology broadcast on Channels TV and published in at least five national newspapers.
The claimant also seeks a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing or disseminating defamatory material related to him.
Mr Cole’s legal team said a pre-action notice and letter of demand dated 8 October were served on both Mr Wike and Channels Television, but the defendants failed to comply, prompting the initiation of court proceedings.
Meanwhile, the court has directed the defendants to enter an appearance within 21 days of service of the writ.
The case comes up for mention on Tuesday, 9th December 2025
