By Segun Adebayo
Nigerian artist Ayo Maff has finally addressed the backlash following a heated altercation with a man at a recent show.
Clarifying the viral moment, the singer emphasized that his decision to prostrate during the incident was rooted in Yoruba cultural respect for elders rather than an admission of guilt or a direct apology to the individual involved.
The singer, in a statement addressing the incident, said his road manager had reminded him of a tradition associated with the location where he was performing, prompting him to prostrate.
“First, I didn’t apologise to him. My road manager reminded me of a tradition, which is why I prostrated. It’s a cultural tradition and a sign of respect in the place I was performing. It was simply me humbly honouring that tradition, not apologising to anyone,” he said.
Clarifying what led to the confrontation, Ayo Maff maintained that the man was not a fan attempting to interact with him but someone who allegedly tried to take his microphone while he was performing.
“Let’s get the facts right. This person came for my microphone while I was performing. He wasn’t a fan trying to interact with me,” the singer said.
He further defended his relationship with his audience, pointing to moments during the same show when he interacted freely with fans.
“I love my fans, and there’s footage from that same show of me literally diving into the crowd to connect with my people. I came there to perform and have fun with you. Why will I fight you unprovoked?”
The singer said he had a responsibility to the thousands of people who paid to attend the event and should not allow an individual’s actions to ruin their experience.
“I have a responsibility to the thousands of people who spent their hard-earned money to enjoy the show. You can’t come on stage, try to take my microphone and disrupt that experience because of a personal issue,” he said.
Explaining his decision to address the controversy, Ayo Maff said he had initially considered remaining silent but felt compelled to set the record straight.
“I could have kept quiet about this, but not this time,” he said.
He also insisted that his humility should not be interpreted as an opportunity for others to disrespect him or his profession.
“I will always respect people, but that doesn’t mean I’ll allow anyone to disrespect my craft, my audience or the people who paid to be there. Being humble doesn’t mean allowing people to take advantage of that humility,” he added.
Questioning the man’s presence on stage, the singer pointed out that he was not among the event organisers.
“And this person wasn’t even part of the event organisers. So the question we’ve all been asking since yesterday remains: Why was he trying to take my microphone in the first place?”