In a significant development that has captured the attention of Nigerians, the Chicago State University (CSU) in the United States has released the academic records of Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. This move complies with the United States District Court order in the Northern District of Illinois.
The court decided to order the records' release after dismissing President Tinubu's objections. The judge stated, "For the foregoing reasons, the court overrules President Tinubu's objections to Magistrate Judge Gilbert's recommended ruling, and therefore, adopts the ruling in full." The court has set an expedited schedule for the completion of discovery, given the pending Supreme Court of Nigeria deadline, represented as October 5, 2023.
Interestingly, in the documents from CSU, which gained significant traction on social media late Monday night, the institution responded to Atiku's four requests. In one notable response to Atiku's request for a copy of any diploma issued by CSU to Mr Tinubu in 1979, the US varsity mentioned, "CSU does not, in the ordinary course, keep copies of student diplomas, and after a diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr. Tinubu in 1979."
Atiku plans to utilise these academic records from CSU in his appeal at the Supreme Court, where he challenges President Tinubu's victory in the February 25 presidential election. However, Tinubu's legal team has countered, arguing that these documents would hold no weight at the Supreme Court.
As the deposition hearing approaches, Nigerians await the outcome, which will determine the authenticity of President Tinubu's academic credentials. The nation remains on edge, with supporters and opposition dissecting every detail and a PR war expected to intensify in the Nigerian press and social media platforms.
See copies of released documents:
