The 2023 Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Tonye Patrick Cole, has filed a N40billion defamation lawsuit against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
Cole, in the suit, accused Wike of making “malicious, false and politically motivated statements” that damaged his reputation during a live television programme.
The legal action stems from remarks made by Wike on Channels Television’s Politics Today, aired on September 18, 2025, in which the FCT Minister alleged that Cole “stole State resources,” “sold gas assets for $308million,” and “took Olympia Hotel.”
Cole described the statements as “utterly false and deliberately intended to paint me as corrupt, deceitful, and criminally minded before millions of viewers.”
He stated that the broadcast had gravely injured his reputation, which he said was built over decades of professional, philanthropic, and public service.
Human rights lawyer and activist, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, has joined the case as a witness for the claimant.
He told the court that he personally watched the live broadcast and was “shocked by the recklessness of the allegations.”
In his sworn deposition, Adeyanju faulted both Wike and Channels Television for what he described as the misuse of a national platform to spread unverified and damaging claims.
Adeyanju noted that such conduct undermines public trust in the media and in responsible political discourse.
The lawyer also recounted that he had himself been targeted by Wike in a separate live television interview in 2024, where the minister allegedly described him as one of “people with no job.”
He said he had tendered evidence of that earlier broadcast to demonstrate a “consistent pattern of malicious and defamatory speech by the 1st Defendant against perceived critics and civic voices.”
“I watched that interview live. The words used were malicious and unbecoming of a public officer. The media has a duty to inform, not to defame,” Adeyanju said in his testimony.
Cole, a co-founder and former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group, told the court that the defamatory broadcast had caused immense emotional distress and professional and reputational harm.
He is demanding N40 billion in general and aggravated damages, a public apology, and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from publishing or re-broadcasting the offending statements.
According to court filings, Cole’s legal team emphasised that the statements not only injured his personal dignity but also jeopardised international partnerships, with several corporate and philanthropic associates suspending collaborations pending clarification of the allegations.
“This is no longer about politics; it is about truth, accountability, and the integrity of public discourse,” Cole said through his lawyers.
“Every Nigerian deserves protection from reckless abuse of public platforms,” he added.
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