Rivers APC’s Tonye Cole Moves to Sue FCT Minister Wike for ₦20 Billion Over Alleged Defamation

The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Patrick Cole, has announced plans to file a ₦20 billion defamation lawsuit against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, over what he described as “false, malicious, and reckless” statements made on national television.

In a pre-action notice dated October 8, 2025, and signed by Chief J.S. Okutepa (SAN) of J.S. Okutepa & Co., Cole’s legal team accused Wike of making “highly defamatory and criminally injurious” remarks during a Channels Television programme titled *One-on-One with Nyesom Wike*, which aired on September 18.

According to the letter, Wike allegedly referred to Cole as a “thief,” accused him of “stealing state resources,” and described him as “a conduit pipe” in the sale of Rivers State’s gas assets valued at $308 million. Okutepa stated that these comments were “completely false, malicious, and made with reckless disregard for the truth,” noting that they were broadcast live to millions of viewers and have since circulated widely online.

The letter asserted that Wike’s statements portrayed Cole as “dishonest, fraudulent, and morally bankrupt,” causing severe damage to his reputation as a businessman, politician, and pastor. Cole’s legal team included a link to the interview, noting that the defamatory content remains publicly accessible and continues to cause harm through rebroadcasts and social media shares.

Okutepa outlined three key demands: a full retraction of the statements with equal prominence on Channels Television, an unreserved public apology published in at least three national newspapers and aired live on Channels TV, and a ₦20 billion compensation for reputational damage, emotional distress, and loss of goodwill. Additionally, Cole is demanding a written undertaking from Wike to refrain from making further defamatory remarks.

The letter warned that failure to comply within 14 days would result in the commencement of legal proceedings. “Take notice that we have the unequivocal instruction of our client to take out a writ of summons against you in the event of your refusal, failure and or neglect to comply fully within 14 days,” Okutepa stated.

Describing Wike’s comments as “unprofessional gutter language unbecoming of a lawyer,” the senior advocate stressed that Cole had never been indicted or convicted of any offence. He argued that the statements were calculated to destroy Cole’s “hard-earned reputation as an accomplished entrepreneur, public figure, and statesman.”

The letter further noted that the continued online availability of the interview “aggravates the defamatory injury and ensures the harm persists daily,” given the programme’s wide national and international audience. “Each rebroadcast compounds the defamation and further injures our client’s reputation before right-thinking members of society both within and outside Nigeria,” Okutepa concluded.