I can’t trade relationship with Davido – Lawyer, Davido

The Principal Partner of BFA and Co Legal, Bobo Ajudua, who also doubles as pop star, Davido’s lawyer, tells KEHINDE AJOSE about his law firm and other issues

What was your childhood like?

I grew up having two lawyers as parents. I was an only child, and that came with a lot of pressure to excel in everything I did, and to be responsible in general. I was constantly reminded that being the only child was not an excuse to fail or derail in my academics or any other thing I did.

What is your most memorable childhood experience?

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Many people know that I am passionate about football, and my fondest childhood memories revolve around me winning football tournaments, and captaining football teams, right from my primary school days at the American International School, Victoria Island, Lagos. That continued when I proceeded to the British International School, Oniru, Lagos, for my secondary education. At both schools, I played a lot of football, and this continued till my days at Essex University, United Kingdom.

Did you study Law because your parents were lawyers?

I think it was a decision I made, even before I realised it. However, I thank God for the time I grew into it, in terms of passion and fondness for the job, as well as the will to be forensic, internalising everything I read.

I developed a love for the English language too, and a certain love to defend and protect the rights of people. I also give credit to my teachers and lecturers, who made every bit of schooling fun for me. I also thank my amazing clients, who have been engaging me right from when I graduated, and was called to the Nigerian Bar. They have made my practice as exciting as possible.

Why did you decide to start your own law firm at the time you did?

Funnily enough, it was not the most intentional thing. I was practically in the middle of my employment at a traditional law firm— Jireh and Greys Attorneys— where I was opportune to work closely with the principal partner, Norrison Quakers (SAN). In the process, I found myself very much engaged with friends form the entertainment industry, including Davido. Initially, most of his legal work was handled by his father, but I gradually found myself being sucked into his world, contract after contract. Then, I realised that this childhood friend of mine needed me a bit more than we thought. After a certain point, the work literally became so much that it needed an office with an actual structure to get things done more efficiently. At some point, I started to appreciate, especially as the work went on, that this brand and business was so big that a whole structure was going to be needed to support his legal needs alone. I would close from my regular job at about 10pm sometimes, because we would be preparing for a criminal trial the next day. I would get off work and still go for meetings with Davido and some of the other DMW talents, handling their negotiations, contract reviews and contract signings. I would then get home, pick up my file and go through it in preparation for the criminal trial, because one thing I certainly do not joke with is my preparation. I would then head straight to court the next morning. At that time, I realised that I needed to invest in my own firm; not only invest in myself but to also build, grow and inspire others.

I must give special thanks to my former boss for being very supportive and a force in my journey. Till now, it would interest you to know that my employment in his firm has not been terminated. I have told him that he is not allowed to terminate my employment, and I would forever be an associate in his firm. And indeed, whenever certain matters arise that we work on together, I go to court, with or without him.

Which schools did you attend?

I started off with pre-school at the American International School in Lagos. After the ninth grade, I transferred to the British International School, also in Lagos, because I wanted to switch to the British system, as I had always envisioned furthering my education in the UK. I went on to study Law at the University of Essex in Colchester, England. After that, I attended the Nigerian Law School, and was called to the Bar in 2012. After that, I observed the National Youth Service Corps scheme, which was an educational experience too.

What lessons did you learn in the course of setting up your law firm?

It has been an interesting experience, considering that I am a relatively young service provider in a society that does not appreciate paying for intangible things.

At the time I started, only a handful of artistes knew what entertainment law was. They only reached out to one when they got into trouble. As a matter of fact, it is a combination of different aspects of law that make up entertainment law. I have also learnt that my generation and the one coming behind mine, do not understand the true requirement of success in an industry like this. Many do not even have a deep understanding of what it means to be a lawyer, not to talk of being an entertainment lawyer. I have found myself having to teach people what I learnt in the traditional law firm I worked previously and also what I learnt in practice.

How will you describe your relationship with Davido?

David and I go back many years. We attended BIS together. He was one of my school sons back in the day. He was a terror then, and he is a terror now. There was a two or three year gap between us. At that time, most seniors did not relate with their juniors, but I had my favourites. Though we did not have much in common, we bonded in a weird way. Whenever school was on break, we used to keep in touch through MSN messenger. Once in a while, I would login to the messenger service and receive messages from one annoying junior student (David Adeleke ) saying, “Hey big bro, I have started singing, and there is this cool song I want you to listen to.” As cool as I was back then, I did not need to be speaking to any junior, but something in me was just never rude to him. I was always warm and receptive; and I would tell him to send the song.

I recall that some of the melodies back then were not bad. As far as I’m concerned, David has always been a genius; but, I thought he was better off facing his books. Another time, he sent me a message, saying he had started taking vocal lessons. Till date, I have a lot of old and unreleased songs from him from back in the day when we were teenagers. When I left BIS and moved to Cambridge, we kept in touch and have been good friends. He always respected me as a senior that he could trust, and I always had a fondness for him.

Some years down the line, he had started doing music and was making waves. On my part, I went to the university to study. After I graduated and moved back to Nigeria, he popped out again from the woodwork, and said he wanted me to be his lawyer.

At that time, nobody was trying to be an entertainment lawyer. Lawyers were trying to go to court, get the big briefs, work for big companies, and defend successful people. When I moved back to Nigeria, we met and continued our relationship. The next thing I knew was that I became his personal lawyer and that of his family. After a while, he got me to come onboard fully as part of his management team. A lot of people do not know that Davido is co-managed by me and Asa Asika. This is, in fact, the first time I will be saying this publicly. The structure is a seamless one. Asa is his entertainment manager, while I am his legal and business manager. We spread the work between ourselves.

Globally, we have partners— LVRN in the USA, and Vanessa Amadi in the UK.

To sum up our relationship, I am David’s friend, brother, lawyer and manager. Our lives are intertwined in many ways. Inasmuch as I am older than him, sometimes, he gives some quality advice that I obviously won’t be sharing with you. I can assure you that my relationship with him is one I will not trade for anything. He has actually turned out to be one of my best friends ever.

What are your other areas of interest?

I have a strong passion for football, which is my first love. I actually played football professionally for two years in Sweden, before returning to Nigeria. Those that know me will tell you that I am good at football. I also have a strong passion for the arts, especially music. I have always loved to dance as well. I can be an entertainer sometimes but that side has had to be toned down, since I’ve walked the path of the noble profession of law. I am not trying to set the wrong examples. I also have a passion for fashion.

You also secure deals for celebrities. What traits do brands look out for before engaging celebrities?

The first thing is conversion. This could mean a couple of things, depending on what the brand aims to achieve with their campaigns, ranging from awareness, visibility to increase in sales. Different celebrities are good for different campaigns, depending on what the brand is looking for.

Generally, brands are looking for an asset with a positive attitude. Nobody wants to work with anyone that becomes flaccid after engagement, acting like they are being forced to work. They prefer celebrities that show initiative, because when the brands feel like the talents are invested in them, they would be happy to invest in the talents.

Finally, I have realised that these brands look for talents that can easily be linked to their brands in the most seamless and organic ways.

Do you think fans are solely responsible for encouraging the perceived rivalry between Davido and Wizkid?

I believe so, 100 per cent. What is happening between Davido and Wizkid is similar to what is happening with two great footballers— Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. If you put both of them in the same room, you will find them sharing jokes with each other. These two have a healthy competition between them and that is always welcome. At the same time, we must appreciate their teams because without themm there is no way both parties will have come this far or attained the heights they are at today. Considering the length of time these two have spent at the top, I am certain that at many points in their careers, if the other one was not there, they would have felt very lonely at the top. Also, the two of them speak more often than people would ever realise.

How do you unwind?

I unwind by spending time with my family, and I enjoy it so much. I also enjoy playing football. Whenever I am on the field, the adrenaline rush is enough to take my mind off almost anything, albeit temporarily.

I wish I could say I travel and unwind, but sadly, the work actually never stops.