Chicago State University (CSU) has complied with the United States District Court's order and released President Bola Tinubu's academic records to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The documents were handed over on Monday. Atiku's legal team is currently examining the records, which may be made public later. The university provided copies of diplomas issued in 1997, stating that they matched the format of Tinubu's replacement diploma from June 27, 1997. While the students' names on these diplomas were redacted for privacy, the university also shared samples of diplomas awarded to other students in 1979, as requested by Atiku.
Tinubu had claimed to have lost his original certificates but submitted a replacement for his CSU diploma to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2023 presidential election. A US magistrate judge, Jeffrey Gilbert, had ordered CSU to release Tinubu's academic records within 24 hours on September 19, following Atiku's request. However, Tinubu filed an appeal against the order. Atiku plans to use the CSU academic records in his appeal at the Supreme Court, where he is challenging Tinubu's victory in the February 25 presidential election. Tinubu's legal team has argued that the documents would be of no use at the Supreme Court.
