A High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to formally enter appearance in a ₦40 billion defamation lawsuit instituted against him by businessman and politician Tonye Patrick Cole.
The suit, filed alongside Channels Incorporated Limited, owners of Channels Television, as the second defendant, is scheduled for mention on December 9, 2025.
The case bears the number CV/4502/25 and will be heard before Justice M. A. Hassan of Court 33.
According to a court notice issued on Friday, parties have been informed that the matter will come up for preliminary hearing on the stated date.
Background to the Lawsuit
Cole, the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, is seeking extensive damages over remarks made by Wike during a live broadcast of “Politics Today” on Channels Television on September 18.
In the court filings, Cole alleges that Wike’s comments suggested he had engaged in financial misconduct, including mismanaging public resources connected to the Rivers State gas project and the Olympia Hotel. His legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Jibrin Okutepa, argues that the statements were not only untrue but “malicious, reckless, and injurious” to his personal and professional reputation.
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Cole claims that the broadcast exposed him to public ridicule, caused him emotional distress, and tarnished his image nationally and internationally.
Reliefs Sought
Apart from the ₦40 billion he seeks in general damages, Cole is also demanding ₦500 million to cover legal expenses.
His prayers before the court include:
* A declaration that Wike’s statements were false and defamatory
* A retraction of the comments and the removal of the broadcast from all Channels Television platforms
* A public apology aired on Channels Television and published in at least five national dailies
* A perpetual injunction restraining Wike and Channels Television from making or disseminating any further defamatory statements about him.
The court has ordered both defendants to respond to the writ within 21 days of receiving it.
