Seun Kuti, an Afrobeat artist and the son of renowned Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has apologized to Bolaji Ayorinde for making a defamatory and libelous claims about the senior lawyer.
In a social media video, Seun implied that Ayorinde had intentionally passed information to Process and Industrial Development, or P&ID, while representing Nigeria in arbitration proceedings over their disputed gas contract.
The afrobeat musician also stated that he was ready to face Ayorinde in court over the P&ID gas processing contract case.
Following this, Ayorinde filed a libel and defamation of character complaint against Seun before an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan.
However, during the suit’s hearing on April 18, 2024, the parties told the court that they had met, adopted the terms of settlement dated 15/4/2024, and filed on the same date.
They requested the court to adopt the settlement terms as the court’s judgement.
As a result, Justice K. Olawoyin accepted the settlement as the court’s judgement.
The court went on to say: “In view of the foregoing and in accordance with the expressed desire of the parties in this suit as confirmed by the respective counsel in court, I hereby enter the foregoing terms of statement as the judgement of the court.”
In the declaration, Seun declared unambiguously that the claims against Chief Ayorinde, which he made and published on his Instagram handle @bigbirdkuti on October 31, 2023, were false and unjustified, and that they were retracted.
He said “It is not true that the claimant (Chief Ayorinde SAN) leaked confidential documents to the adverse side in the P & ID Vs. Nigeria arbitration matter or in any way conducted himself in any unethical or corrupt manner in his work as legal Practitioner for Nigeria in the said case.
“It is not true that the claimant deliberately planned with the opponent to lose in the P & ID Vs. Nigeria Arbitration Matter and sabotaged the interests of Nigeria in the case.
“It is not true that the claimant committed Treachery against Nigeria in the said P & ID Vs. Nigeria Arbitration Matter.
“It is not true that the claimant charged $197 million for a case in which the claimant intentionally sabotaged his country, Nigeria.”
Seun in his defence before the court, said: “Having now conceded that my allegations are untrue and unfounded and that I have unjustifiably impeached the character and reputation of Chief Ayorinde, SAN, I hereby publicly recant and retract my aforesaid untrue imputations against Chief Ayorinde, which stood to damage the hard earned good name and good will of Chief Ayorinde’s character.”