Former Managing Director of Alpha Beta Consulting, Dapo Apara, an All Progressives Congress leader who is presently seeking to contest in the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, Bola Tinubu; and the present Managing Director of the company, Akin Doherty, have begun discussions on a possible out-of-court settlement in the case instituted by Apara at the Lagos high court.
This is sequel to allegations that Tinubu ordered the transfer of over N20bn from Alpha Beta to some private business accounts.
Lawyer to the plaintiff, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa SAN, stated the possibility of settlement before the High Court of Lagos State sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Tuesday.
Adegboruwa informed the court that the order made on November 2, 2021, for substituted service of all court processes on Tinubu at his No. 26 Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos address through the courier service of DHL, had been complied with by the court bailiff and that affidavit of service had been filed.
He also informed the court that the parties and their counsel had met on several occasions with a view to resolving all the issues in controversy amicably and to this end, proposed terms of settlement had been exchanged, which might have explained the absence of the defendants and their counsel in court.
The senior advocate then urged the court to grant more time for the parties to consolidate on their settlement talks.
Justice Aishat Opesanwo subsequently adjourned the case till March 24, 2022.
In 2018, Apara wrote a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accusing Alpha Beta of N100bn tax fraud.
Apara is asking the court to compel the firm to pay him his entitlements even as he alleged that Tinubu was the one that got him removed from his position for investigating the firm’s finances.