Seun Kuti retracts allegation on P&ID fraud, tenders apology

Seun Kuti, Afrobeats musician and son of legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has apologised to Bolaji Ayorinde over a defamatory statement he made against the senior lawyer.

In a video posted on social media, Seun accused of Ayorinde passing information to Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), while representing Nigeria during arbitration proceedings over their disputed gas contract.

The musician boasted that he was ready to meet Ayorinde in court over the controversy surrounding the P&ID gas processing contract case.

Following the development, Ayorinde dragged Seun before Oyo State High Court sitting at Ibadan.

But at the hearing of the suit on April 18, 2024, the parties involved informed the court that they had met and adopted the terms of settlement dated 15/4/2024 and filed the same date.

They urged the court to adopt the terms of settlement as the judgment of the court.

Justice K. Olawoyin adopted the term of settlement as the judgment of the court.

The court said: “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 judgment of the court.”

However, Seun said that the statement he posted on his Instagram Handle @bigbirdkuti on October 31, 2023, against Chief Ayorinde were “not true and unfounded and stand 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.

“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.”