An Abuja High Court has summoned Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to formally enter appearance in a ₦40 billion defamation lawsuit filed against him by Tonye Cole.
The case also includes Channels Incorporated Limited, owners of Channels Television, as a co-defendant.
According to a court notice issued on Friday, the matter, registered as CV/4502/25 has been scheduled for mention on December 9, 2025, before Justice M. A. Hassan of Court 33.
The notice states that the suit, Tonye Patrick Cole vs. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike & Anor, will come up for its first hearing on the specified date.
Cole’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Jibrin Okutepa, explained that the lawsuit was filed after both Wike and Channels Television allegedly ignored a pre-action notice and a letter of demand issued on October 8.
Cole, who contested as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State in 2023, is demanding ₦40 billion in damages over statements made by Wike during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 18.
He argues that the minister’s comments were untrue, malicious, and injurious to his reputation across personal, professional, and public spheres.
Court documents suggest that Wike’s remarks portrayed Cole as being involved in financial impropriety and mismanagement of state assets, including issues relating to the Rivers State gas sector and the Olympia Hotel.
According to Cole’s lawyers, the statements amounted to defamation because they insinuated dishonesty and wrongdoing, thereby tarnishing his image both within Nigeria and internationally.
Cole maintains that the broadcast subjected him to humiliation, emotional distress, and significant reputational damage, describing the publication as “malicious, reckless, and entirely baseless.”
In addition to the ₦40 billion claim, he is requesting ₦500 million to cover legal costs and is seeking a judicial pronouncement declaring the statements false and defamatory.
Cole is also asking the court to compel Wike and Channels Television to retract the remarks, remove the interview from all platforms, and issue a public apology aired on Channels Television and published in at least five national newspapers.
Furthermore, he is seeking a perpetual injunction preventing the defendants from making or publishing any further defamatory statements about him.
The court has directed the defendants to enter appearance within 21 days of being served with the writ.
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