The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Tonye Cole has demanded a public apology and N20 billion in damages from Channels Television over alleged defamatory remarks made by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
Cole, through his lawyers, S.O. Okutepa (SAN) & Co., issued a seven-page demand letter dated October 8, 2025, to Channels Incorporated Ltd, owners of Channels TV, accusing the station of airing “malicious and unfounded statements” that have severely damaged his reputation.The controversy stems from the September 18, 2025 edition of Politics Today, a live programme hosted by Seun Okinbaloye and titled “One-on-One with Nyesom Wike.”
During the interview, Wike, a former governor of Rivers state, allegedly called Cole a “thief,” accused him of “stealing state resources,” and described him as a “conduit pipe with Sahara” responsible for “selling Rivers State Gas for $308 million,” which he claimed “crippled the resources of Rivers state.”
Cole’s lawyers said the remarks, broadcast to millions of viewers and subsequently circulated on social media, were made “recklessly and without any factual basis.”They alleged that Channels TV gave Wike “unrestricted and unfettered airtime” to make the claims and has since rebroadcast and retained the interview on its YouTube channel, further compounding the damage.
The letter stated that the statements portrayed Cole — described as a respected architect, entrepreneur, and pastor — as “a dishonest and fraudulent person, an economic saboteur, and a morally bankrupt man.”It added that the imputations have exposed him to “public obloquy, hatred, ridicule, and contempt,” and have lowered his standing among friends, business associates, and the public.
“Our client categorically denies these allegations and states unequivocally that he has never been indicted, convicted, or found guilty of any crime in relation to the matters raised during the programme or any matter at all,” the letter reads.
Cole’s lawyers accused Channels TV of “reckless disregard for truth and fairness” and of failing to retract or fact-check Wike’s statements.
To mitigate what they described as “colossal damage,” the legal team gave the station a 14-day deadline, expiring on October 22, 2025, to meet several conditions.
These include a full retraction of the statements aired with equal prominence on Channels TV, a written and broadcast apology, removal of the programme from YouTube and other platforms, and payment of N20 billion in compensation via bank draft.
The lawyers also demanded a written undertaking from Channels TV to desist from further defamatory publications against Cole.
https://dailynigerian.com/tonye-cole-demands-n20bn-public-apology-over-wikes-remark/
