Allegation of P&ID fraud: Seun Kuti apologises to Ayorinde

Seun Kuti, an afrobeat artist and the son of the late great Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has apologised to Bolaji Ayorinde for a libellous and defamatory allegation he made against the senior attorney.

In a social media video, Seun implied that Ayorinde had deliberately given information to Process and Industrial Development, P&ID, while acting as Nigeria’s representative in the arbitration process pertaining to their contentious gas deal.

In addition, the afrobeat artist declared that he was prepared to take on Ayorinde in court about the P&ID gas processing contract dispute.

After that, Ayorinde filed a libel and defamation of character lawsuit against Seun in an Oyo State High Court located in Ibadan.

Nevertheless, the parties told the court during the April 18, 2024, suit hearing that they had met, accepted the conditions of the settlement dated April 15, 2024, and filed the same day.

They implored the court to accept the settlement terms as the ruling.

As a result, Justice K. Olawoyin accepted the settlement clause as the court’s ruling.

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.”

In the term of statement, Seun stated unequivocally that his statements made and published 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.”

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.”