Architect Tonye Patrick Cole, the 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Rivers State, has issued a strongly worded demand letter to Channels Television, accusing the station of enabling defamatory statements by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike during a live broadcast last month.
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Through his legal representatives, S.O. Okutepa SAN and Co., Cole is seeking an immediate retraction, public apology, and a staggering N20 billion (Twenty Billion Naira) in compensation for what he describes as “malicious and unfounded” claims that have irreparably damaged his reputation.
The controversy stems from the September 18, 2025, edition of Channels TV’s flagship program, Politics Today, titled “One-on-One with Nyesom Wike.” Anchored by journalist Seun Okinbaloye, the interview provided the former Rivers State governor-turned-minister with “unrestricted and unfettered airtime,” according to the letter. During the broadcast, Wike allegedly labeled Cole a “thief,” accused him of “stealing state resources,” described him as a “conduit pipe with Sahara,” and claimed he was responsible for “selling Rivers State Gas for $308 million,” thereby “crippling the resources of Rivers State.”
Cole’s lawyers argue that these remarks, aired live to millions of national and international viewers, were broadcast “recklessly and without any factual or truth whatsoever.” The program, one of Nigeria’s most-watched political shows, has since been amplified through rebroadcasts, online clips, and social media, exacerbating the harm. The full interview remains archived on Channels TV’s official YouTube channel, where it continues to garner views, further compounding the alleged injury.
In the seven-page demand letter dated October 8, 2025, addressed to the Managing Director of Channels Incorporated Ltd (operators of Channels TV) in Abuja, the firm contends that the statements portrayed Cole—a respected entrepreneur, architect, pastor, and statesman—as a “dishonest and fraudulent person, an economic saboteur, and a morally bankrupt man.” They emphasize that such imputations have exposed him to “public obloquy, hatred, ridicule, contempt,” and lowered his standing among friends, family, 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 states, accusing the station of demonstrating “reckless disregard for truth and fairness” by allowing the comments and failing to retract them.
To mitigate the “colossal damage,” Cole’s legal team has set a strict 14-day deadline (expiring October 22, 2025) for compliance, including:
| Demand | Details |
|---|---|
| Retraction | Full written retraction of the defamatory statements, broadcast with equal prominence on Channels TV. |
| Public Apology | Unreserved apology in writing, via live broadcast on Channels TV, and published in at least three national newspapers. |
| Content Removal | Immediate takedown of the program from YouTube and all other online platforms. |
| Compensation | Payment of N20,000,000,000 (Twenty Billion Naira) via bank draft for reputational damage, mental distress, and loss of goodwill. |
| Undertaking | Written commitment to cease any further defamatory publications against Cole. |
MR NYESOME EZENWO WIKE
Failure to comply will prompt the filing of a writ of summons, with the lawyers warning against forcing their client to “resort to the use of weapons in legal armouries.”
Tonye Patrick Cole, a prominent Rivers-born businessman and architect, ran as the APC’s flagbearer in the 2023 gubernatorial election, which was marred by legal disputes and violence. Nyesom Wike, now FCT Minister under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has a history of political rivalry with APC figures in Rivers State, including with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Channels TV, known for its hard-hitting political coverage, has not yet responded publicly to the demand as of this reporting.
Cole’s team, led by Chief J.S. Okutepa SAN, maintains that the broadcast was not only false but delivered “in bad faith with malice,” calculated to destroy their client’s “hard-earned reputation.” As the deadline approaches, all eyes are on whether Channels TV will issue a retraction or brace for litigation in what could become one of Nigeria’s most expensive defamation cases.
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