The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has demanded a public apology and ₦20 billion in damages from Channels Television over alleged defamatory comments made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
According to reports, Cole, through his legal representatives, issued a seven-page demand letter dated October 8, 2025, to Channels Incorporated Ltd, the owners of Channels TV, accusing the station of broadcasting “malicious and baseless statements” that allegedly tarnished his reputation.
The dispute stems from the September 18, 2025 edition of Politics Today, a live programme hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, titled “One-on-One with Nyesom Wike.”
During the interview, Wike — a former governor of Rivers State — reportedly described Cole as a “thief” and accused him of “stealing state resources.” He also alleged that Cole acted as a “conduit pipe with Sahara” and was responsible for “selling Rivers State Gas for $308 million,” which he claimed “crippled the state’s finances.”
Cole’s legal team stated that these remarks, aired live to millions of viewers and circulated widely across social media, were false, damaging, and made recklessly without evidence.
They alleged that Channels TV provided Wike with “unrestricted airtime” to make defamatory assertions and further aggravated the issue by rebroadcasting and retaining the interview on its YouTube channel.
The demand letter emphasized that the statements portrayed Cole — a respected architect, entrepreneur, and pastor — as “dishonest, fraudulent, and morally bankrupt.” It argued that the broadcast subjected him to “public ridicule, hatred, and contempt,” thereby damaging his personal and professional reputation.
“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,” the letter reads.
Cole’s lawyers further accused Channels TV of failing to fact-check or balance the claims before airing them, calling it an act of “reckless disregard for journalistic ethics and fairness.”
To remedy what they described as “colossal reputational harm,” the legal team gave Channels TV 14 days, expiring on October 22, 2025, to comply with several conditions:
A full retraction of Wike’s statements aired with equal prominence on Channels TV,
A written and on-air public apology,
Immediate removal of the interview from YouTube and other platforms, and
Payment of ₦20 billion in damages via bank draft.
