By Gideon Njoku
Seun Kuti, musician-son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has publicly admitted he lied against a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde.
In an overwhelming defamatory statement Seun made in a video on social media, he alleged that Ayorinde sabotaged his Country, Nigeria in the case which involved Process and Industrial Development, P&ID, intentionally passed information to P&ID while representing Nigeria in the arbitration proceedings over a disputed gas contract.
Seun alleged that the Senior Lawyer deliberately passed information to P&ID.
After making the allegation, Seun was not remorseful. He stood his grounds and emphasised that he was prepared to meet Ayorinde in court.
Angry and embarrassed, Ayorindethe hit Seun with flaunting a libel and defamation of character lawsuit. The case was before an Oyo State High Court, Ibadan.
But on April 18, 2024, at the hearing of the case, both parties told the court the case has been peacefully they had amicably settled. Both asked the court to adopt their terms of settlement which was dated 15/4/2024. They, also, filed the same date as the judgment of the court.
Following that, The Honourable Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin adopted the terms of settlement as the judgment of the court.
Said the Court: “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 settlement as the judgment of the court.”
Seun admitted in his statements that what he published on his Instagram handle @bigbirdkuti on October 31, 2023, “against Ayorinde were untrue and stood retracted.”
Seun noted: “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.”
