The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has fixed 9 December to hear the suit filed by Tonye Cole against Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and Channels Television.
The case with suit number CV/4502/25 is scheduled to come before judge M. A. Hassan for mention.
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Mr Cole, the 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, sued Mr Wike alongside Channels Incorporated Limited, the Channels Television’s parent company.
In the suit, the claimant sought N40 billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements made by Mr Wike during a live broadcast on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’ on 18 September.
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According to the writ of summons and the attached statement of claim, Mr Cole said Mr Wike’s statements during the live broadcast on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’, were false, malicious, offensive, and damaging to his reputation in personal, professional, and public capacities.
In the court documents seen by this newspaper, Mr Wike was quoted as referring to Mr Cole in a manner suggesting his involvement in financial impropriety and mismanagement of state resources, including allegations related to Rivers State gas and the Olympia Hotel.
According to Mr Cole’s legal team, led by Jibrin Okutepa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Wike’s statements are defamatory, as they impute dishonesty and wrongdoing, gravely injuring his client’s standing both nationally and internationally.
The claimant sought N40 billion for alleged damages resulting from what he described as a “malicious, reckless, and unfounded defamatory broadcast and publications,” which caused him injury, humiliation, mental anguish, and reputational harm.
Mr Cole also sought N500 million for the cost of the legal action.
The businessman-cum-politician, among prayers, urged the court to make a declaration that the statements are false and defamatory, an order directing the defendants to retract the claims, and remove all copies from all platforms. He also prayed the court to order Mr Wike to issue a public apology broadcast on Channels TV and have it published in at least five national newspapers.
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The claimant also sought a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing or disseminating defamatory material related to him.
Backstory
Mr Cole’s legal team had issued a pre-action notice and letter of demand dated 8 October, which were served on both Mr Wike and Channels Television, compelling them to retract the statement and publicly apologise to him, among other demands.
The defendants, however, failed to comply, prompting the initiation of court proceedings on 8 November after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum given to Mr Wike and Channels TV.
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