Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti has issued a public apology to Bolaji Ayorinde, a senior lawyer, over defamatory remarks made in relation to the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) gas processing contract dispute.
The apology follows a lawsuit filed against Kuti for libel and defamation of character.
In a video posted on social media, Kuti had insinuated that Ayorinde intentionally leaked information to P&ID during arbitration proceedings. However, during a court hearing on April 18, 2024, both parties presented a terms of settlement, which was subsequently adopted by the court.
Justice K. Olawoyin approved the terms of settlement as the judgment of the court, wherein Kuti retracted his statements and acknowledged their falsehood. Kuti admitted that his allegations against Ayorinde were untrue and unfounded, stating that Ayorinde did not engage in any unethical or corrupt conduct during his legal representation of Nigeria in the P&ID case.
Kuti acknowledged that Ayorinde did not deliberately plan to lose the case or sabotage Nigeria’s interests. He also refuted claims that Ayorinde charged exorbitant fees for his legal services.
In his defense before the court, Kuti publicly recanted and retracted his accusations, acknowledging that they unjustly damaged Ayorinde’s character and reputation.
