Abuja High Court Summons FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in Explosive N40 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Filed by APC Stalwart Tonye Cole

 Abuja, Nigeria – December 6, 2025 – The political rivalry in Rivers State has spilled into the Federal Capital Territory High Court as Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, current Minister of the FCT and former Rivers State governor, has been formally summoned to defend himself in a N40 billion defamation lawsuit brought by businessman and 2023 APC governorship candidate Tonye Patrick Cole.

Channels Incorporated Limited, owners of Channels Television, is joined as the second defendant in the suit marked CV/4502/25. A court notice issued on Friday, December 5, directed both defendants to enter appearance within 21 days and fixed the matter for first mention on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, before Justice M. A. Hassan of Court 33.

The legal action arises from statements Wike made during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on September 18, 2025. Cole alleges that Wike falsely accused him of fraudulently selling Rivers State gas turbine assets for $308 million during the administration of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, described him as a “conduit pipe” for looting state resources, and claimed he illegally acquired the state-owned Olympia Hotel in Port Harcourt.

Cole, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Jibrin Okutepa, contends that the statements were malicious, reckless, and entirely untrue, and that their nationwide broadcast caused him severe reputational damage, humiliation, and mental anguish both in Nigeria and abroad. He states that the accusations have harmed his standing as a respected energy sector entrepreneur and co-founder of the Sahara Group.

Despite a pre-action notice and demand letter served on October 8, 2025, neither Wike nor Channels Television retracted the statements or tendered an apology, prompting the filing of the suit.

In addition to the N40 billion claimed as general damages, Cole is seeking:

1. N500 million to cover litigation costs
2. A declaration that the statements were false and defamatory
3. An order compelling Wike and Channels Television to retract the allegations, delete the broadcast from all online platforms, and publish a full apology on Channels Television and in at least five national newspapers
4. A perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from making further defamatory statements about him in the future

The case has deepened the long-running political rift between Wike and allies of Governor Siminalayi Fubara on one side, and supporters of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Tonye Cole on the other. Cole was the APC governorship candidate in the controversial 2023 Rivers State election, which saw Governor Fubara declared winner amid widespread allegations of irregularities.

Legal analysts note that while public officials in Nigeria often invoke qualified privilege when discussing matters of public interest, the plaintiff’s team is expected to argue that the statements were made with express malice, thereby destroying any defence of privilege.

Neither Wike nor his media team has issued an official response to the summons at the time of this report. Channels Television has also declined detailed comment, stating only that it will address the matter through appropriate legal channels.

The December 9 mention will determine whether the defendants file defences or seek preliminary objections. Given the high political and financial stakes, the case is already attracting intense attention from Nigeria’s political class and legal community.

For Tonye Cole, the lawsuit represents an opportunity to clear his name and recover substantial damages. For Nyesom Wike, currently one of the most powerful figures in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, it is the latest chapter in a series of legal and political battles that have defined his career.

As Abuja prepares for what promises to be a fiercely contested trial, the Rivers political crisis, once thought to have cooled, has found a new arena: the courtroom.