The “battle” between singer, Mercy Chinwo, and Ezekiel Onyedikachi, aka EeZee Tee, the owner of her former record label (EeZee Conceptz), is seemingly not going to end anytime soon.
Barely 24 hours after both parties and their legal teams had met in court, Chinwo posted a lengthy statement on social media, alleging among other things, that EeZee had modified the contract he signed with her.
The statement signed by her lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, stated that the relationship between the duo took a “turning point” in 2019 when EeZee allegedly requested to extend her five-year contract to 12 years, which she declined.
It added, “He started talking tough and repeatedly about the contract, which was not the norm. It was at this point that she realised she needed to have a copy of the contract. As the situation got worse in 2020, she demanded for her copy of the contract.
“By the fourth year, the relationship had become extremely toxic, as Mercy started to endure untold verbal and emotional assault that literally affected her person. Eezeetee would threaten her with statements like, “I will deal with you, I will mess you up, I made you whom you are, I can shut you up, and nobody will hear you again, I will destroy your career” including the use of the “F” word, sadly on different occasions. Extremely hostile, antagonistic and abusive.
“Eezeetee continue to intimidate her, isolating and bulling her, misleading people inviting her for events about her availability.”
Alleging that Eezee Tee modified a contract Chinwo had earlier signed, the statement continued, “After her contract had expired on the September 5, 2022, Mercy was directed to get her copy of the contract from his pastor, Temple Odoko and she got her copy November 22, 2022. Shockingly, it turned out that the contract that was signed in 2017 had been replaced with another contract made in 2019. A new contract made in 2019 was altered to seem as if it was the document signed in 2017.
“Clearly, on the face of the contract, at the front page, the “2019” was altered to “2017” by turning the “9” to “7” with a pen. However, the commencement page was carelessly reading “2019.” Eezeetee is challenged in one word to release the first three pages and the execution page of the contract in public. The contract till date has no original, just the photocopy.
“Due diligence revealed that after signing the original contract in 2017, two years later, when they had relocated to Lagos. Eezeetee secured the services of a prominent and respected law firm in Lagos (Udo Udoma & Bello-Osagie) to prepare a new contract in 2019. The contract was used to substitute the 2017 original contract.
“It is important to reiterate that while the 2017 contract was just about five pages, the 2019 contract, which was introduced by Eezeetee to replace the old contract was 25 pages, allocating lifetime ownership of all music works to Eezeetee and couched in a manner intended to perpetually have Mercy in servitude.”
It added that at an EFCC investigation panel in 2024, in a bid to come to a settlement, both Chinwo and Eezee betrayed their emotions and burst into tears, with EeZee allegedly preaching peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.
In another twist, the statement alleged that it was EeZee who filed a court case against Chinwo.