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 Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to a demand letter dated October 8, 2025, issued by Cole’s lawyers, S.O. Okutepa (SAN) & Co., the remarks were made during the September 18 episode of Politics Today, hosted by Seun Okinbaloye. In the live interview titled “One-on-One with Nyesom Wike”, the former Rivers governor reportedly accused Tonye Cole of “stealing state resources” and being part of a “Sahara conduit pipe” that allegedly sold Rivers State gas for $308 million — claims Cole’s team describes as “false and malicious.”

The legal letter stated that Channels TV allowed Wike to make such accusations “without any factual basis,” broadcasting the interview to millions of viewers and later uploading it to YouTube, where it continues to circulate. Cole’s lawyers said the remarks painted him as corrupt, dishonest, and morally bankrupt — damaging his reputation as a respected businessman, architect, and pastor.

The lawyers insisted that Cole has never been found guilty of any wrongdoing or investigated for corruption, accusing Channels TV of failing to verify or balance the claims before airing them. They described the act as “reckless and unfair,” arguing that the continued circulation of the interview has worsened the reputational damage.

To address the issue, Cole’s legal team gave Channels TV 14 days — until October 22, 2025 — to retract the defamatory statements, issue a public and written apology, delete the broadcast from all platforms, and pay ₦20 billion in compensation. They also demanded a written promise from the station to refrain from publishing further defamatory content against Tonye Cole.