The United States Court has ordered the Chicago State University, CSU, to release President Bola Tinubu’s academic records to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar by Tuesday.
Judge Nancy Maldonado, in a judgment on Sunday noted that CSU raised no objection to Judge Jeffery Gilbert’s decision that the academic record be made public.
In its ruling, Judge Maldonado, in a copy of the judgment obtained by reporters said that Abubakar’s interest in the information outweighs any intrusion on Tinubu’s privacy interests.
Maldonado overruled Tinubu’s objections to Gilbert’s recommended ruling and therefore adopted the ruling in full.
The memorandum opinion and order read in part: “Atiku’s application is therefore granted. In light of the pending Supreme Court of Nigeria deadline, presented to the Court as October 5, 2023, and based on CSU’s representations that it is ready to comply with the discovery requests and produce a witness, the Court sets an expedited schedule for completion of discovery. Respondent, CSU is directed to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents.
“The Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Given the October 5, 2023, filing deadline before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Court will not extend or modify these deadlines”.
Recall that Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had approached the US District Court in Northern Illinois to compel the university to release Tinubu’s academic records, arguing that it would boost his suit challenging the President’s election in the February 25 presidential poll.
The PDP candidate had requested the documents for use in Nigerian courts to support his argument that Tinubu forged a certificate he claimed to have obtained from CSU in 1979 and submitted to Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the 2023 presidential election.
