1st November, 2023
Former chairman of Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, Mr Amaju Pinnick has explained how singer, David Adeleke, aka Davido begged him at Abuja Airport to engage his services for the 19th edition of the “Warri Again” concert, failed to honour the contract and resorted to bullying him on his social media handles.
Pinnick who stated this in the statement of claim filed by his company, Brownhill Investments Company Limited against Davido court over alleged breach of contract over the event held on October 6, 2023.
The company had filed the N2.3 billion against Davido and his music label, Davido Music Worldwide Limited over failure to honour the contract to perform at the annual ‘Warri Again Concert’, before the High Court of Delta State in Effurun.
In its statement of claim, Pinnick said he was initially not keen to engage the services of Davido for the event because he had disappointed him on two previous occasions – the 2014 and 2019 editions of “Warri Again”, where he did not show up to perform after he had been paid for the events and he was compelled to make refunds thereafter.
But Pinnick said he believed the singer had turned a new leaf and thus, agreed to engage him to perform as the headline artiste at the 19th edition of Warri Again, slated to hold on October 6, 2023 in Warri, Delta State at a fee of N70 million.
Pinnick said Davido insisted that the performance fee must be paid in full in March 2023 when the contract was signed to secure his performance at the event.
Consequently, Pinnick said the sum of US$94,500.00 (an equivalent of N70million) was paid on April 6, 2023 and same was duly acknowledged by Davido
After payment was made and confirmed, Pinnick said Davido did a promotional video for the event wherein he confirmed his attendance and live performance in Warri on October 6, 2023.
Pinnick and his company said they thereafter set in motion, all promotional and advertorial machinery for the event, projecting the Davido as the headline performer at the event.
The former NFF Chairman said on September 29, 2023, precisely a week to the slated date of the event, a formal letter of reminder was sent to the musician which contained flight itinerary of the private jet chartered to personally convey him and his team to and from Warri, Delta State for the event.
Pinnick said additional expenses of $18,000 were incurred to secure the private jet chartered to convey the Davido and his team.
But the former NFF Chairman said on October 6, 2023, hetried to reach the defendants severally, but all attempts proved futile.
But he said he kept the private jet at the Airport in Lagos on standby, waiting for the 1st defendant and his team.
Pinnick said he did not receive any communication from the defendants, relating to his attendance at the event and during the event, he was compelled to address and apologise to the attendees for his nonappearance and performance.
The former NFF Chairman said he explained to the disappointed attendees that the claimant met all its contractual obligations to secure the attendance and performance of the 1st defendant but he deliberately refused to show up and perform.
Pinnick further revealed on stage to the unhappy attendees, that the claimant had taken steps to secure the performance of another raving artist known as Crown Uzama aka Shallipopi, at an extra and unbudgeted cost to make up for the absence and non performance of the 1st defendant.
Pinnick however added that Davido, not long after, resorted to bullying him with his large social media influence and following by posting all manner of insults, defamatory remarks, threats and unprintable things on the accounts/handles of his Instagram, Snapchat and X (formerly known as Twitter], at its chairman.
He also accused the musician of making a false post on his Instagram story, stating that he had informed him months ago of his inability to attend and perform at the event.
But Pinnick said at no point in time did the defendants communicate or relate to the claimant that the 1st defendant would not attend and no longer perform at the “Warri Again” event.
He added that other show promoters and persons have been victims of the 1st defendant’s penchant for reneging on contracts and engagements after collecting payments.
In the alleged breach of agreement/contract suit filed through its counsel, Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem , Brownhill Investments Company Limited asked the court to award N2 billion as general damages against Davido in addition to N150 million as legal and professional fees for failure to honour agreement to perform at the event.
The company also demanded N30 million as cost of filing the suit.
In addition to the monetary demand, the company is also seeking an order directing the defendants jointly and/or severally to tender a public apology on all the 1st defendant’s social media accounts/handles and in two national daily newspapers for four consecutive days, to the claimant and attendees.
It also demanded an order directing the defendants jointly to tender a public apology on their social media accounts/handles and in two national daily newspapers for four consecutive days.
The company also asked the court for an order of injunction restraining the 1st defendant from performing as a musical artiste at any show/event in Nigeria until he refunds the sum of $94,500.