Tonye Patrick Cole, former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has slammed a N20 billion defamation suit against Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over alleged defamatory statements.

In a letter dated October 8 and obtained by Peoples Gazette on Thursday, Mr Cole, through his lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, accused Mr Wike of making “very damaging, malicious, and unfounded defamatory statements” during a live broadcast of Channels Television’s Politics Today programme aired on September 18, 2025.

The politician alleged that Mr Wike called him a thief, accused him of stealing state resources, and sold Rivers State gas for $308 million.

Mr Cole said the remarks, which were broadcast nationally and internationally, have caused him “severe reputational damage, mental distress, and loss of goodwill.”

“The words you used, and which you published and caused Channels Television to publish to millions of viewers both nationally and internationally, portrayed our client in their ordinary and natural meaning as a thief, a dishonest and fraudulent person, an economic saboteur, and a morally bankrupt man,” the letter reads.

The complainant’s legal team noted that the interview remains publicly available on Channels Television’s official YouTube channel and continues to “cause ongoing reputational injury” to Mr Cole.

He accused Mr Wike of “acting recklessly and in bad faith,” insisting that the former Rivers governor’s statements were made “without any factual or legal basis whatsoever.”

Mr Cole further demanded that Mr Wike retract the statements and issue a public apology both in writing and through the same media platforms, including a live broadcast on Channels Television and publications in at least three national newspapers, within 14 days of receiving the letter.

In addition to the public apology, the lawyers also demanded a N20 billion payment as compensation for the alleged defamation and a written undertaking from Mr Wike to desist from making any further defamatory remarks about Mr Cole.

The politician’s legal team warned that they would “resort to the use of weapons in legal armouries” to ensure compliance.