Abuja, Nigeria – Tonye Patrick Cole, the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has initiated a defamation action seeking ₦20 billion in damages against the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, over remarks made during a televised interview.
In a pre-action letter dated October 8, 2025, signed by Chief J.S. Okutepa (SAN) of J.S. Okutepa & Co., Cole’s legal counsel accused Wike of making statements they characterized as “false, malicious, and reckless” during his appearance on Channels TV on September 18. The letter alleges that the FCT Minister referred to Cole as a “thief,” accused him of “stealing state resources,” and described him as “a conduit pipe” in relation to the sale of Rivers State’s gas assets, valued at $308 million.
Cole’s legal team maintained that Wike’s comments were broadcast live to a national and international audience, and have since been rebroadcast and circulated widely on social media, thereby magnifying the damage to Cole’s reputation. They stated that the remarks portrayed Cole as “dishonest and fraudulent,” an “economic saboteur,” and “morally bankrupt,” inflicting grave harm on his standing as a businessman, politician, and pastor.
In the letter, three demands were presented for redress:
- A full, unconditional retraction of Wike’s statements, to be broadcast with equal prominence on Channels Television.
- An unreserved public apology, to be published in at least three national newspapers and read on live broadcast on Channels Television.
- Payment of ₦20 billion as compensation for reputational damage, emotional distress, and loss of goodwill.
The letter also demands a written undertaking from Wike to desist from making further defamatory remarks against Cole in the future. It warns that if these demands are not met within 14 days, Cole’s legal team will institute formal court proceedings.
Okutepa further criticized Wike’s conduct, accusing him of using “unprofessional gutter language unbecoming of a lawyer” and acting in reckless disregard for truth and fairness. The letter emphasized that Cole has never been indicted, convicted, or found guilty of wrongdoing, and argued that the allegations were made without factual or legal foundation.
Cole’s lawyers also noted that the interview remains publicly accessible on Channels Television’s YouTube channel, which they say aggravates the injury by ensuring that the defamatory content persists daily and continues to harm Cole’s image.
As of this writing, no public response from Minister Wike has been made regarding the pre-action notice.