Businessman and politician, Tonye Cole, has filed a ₦40.5 billion defamation suit against Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The suit marked CV/4502/25, was filed before the High Court, Abuja Division, on Friday two weeks after Mr Cole asked Mr Wike to apologise and withdraw alleged defamatory remarks.

In the suit, Mr Cole, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, claimed that Mr Wike made “false, malicious and offensive” statements about him during a live interview on Channels Television’s “Politics Today’’ on September 18, 2025.

He further noted that the statements portrayed him (Cole) as a “thief who diverted and sold Rivers State gas assets at an undervalued rate,” thereby damaging his reputation.

Mr Cole said the remarks were widely disseminated through Channels Television’s YouTube channel, website and social media platforms, adding that the interview segment aired around the 37-minute timestamp of the programme.

The claimant further claimed that Mr Wike alleged that he “crippled the resources” of Rivers State along with former governor Rotimi Amaechi.

He said Mr Wike accused him and his associates of selling state gas assets for $308 million and taking over public property, including Olympia Hotel.

Mr Cole said the statements were reckless and disregarded the context of a 2015 privatisation process in which Mr Wike served as chief of staff in the state government.

He submitted a downloaded copy of the broadcast and a printed transcript to the court as exhibits and accused Channels Television of broadcasting and republishing the remarks without due diligence.

Mr Cole said the allegations contradicted his reputation as a global business leader and philanthropist.

Mr Cole who was the Rivers governorship candidate of the APC in 2023, highlighted his career, board appointments and community work in the statement of claim.

He is seeking a declaration that Mr Wike’s statements were defamatory, and an order directing Mr Wike and Channels Television to retract the statements and issue public apologies.

He is also asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction stopping further publication of the remarks.

Mr Cole who is represented by Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is seeking ₦40 billion as general damages and ₦500 million as litigation costs.