The Chicago State University (CSU) has finally released the academic records of President Bola Tinubu to Atiku Abubakar, his challenger and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the February general elections.
This came after an intense legal battle where both parties contended over the release of the documents, which Atiku needed to probe into their genuineness and Tinubu’s qualification for the presidential poll.
Tinubu had submitted certificates from the CSU to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to secure qualification to run in the election.
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The CSU released the documents to Atiku on Monday in compliance with the order of a United States District Court in Northern District of Illinois.
In ordering the CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records, a US district judge Justice Nancy Maldonado dismissed the objection raised by Tinubu against Atiku’s request and expressly ordered the CSU to release the academic records to Atiku as requested.
“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,” she ruled.
“Mr Atiku’s Application is, therefore, granted. In light of the pending Supreme Court of Nigeria deadline, represented 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.
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“Respondent CSU is directed to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to Requests for Production Nos. 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.”
Consequently, the CSU complied with the court order by responding to Atiku’s four requests.
In doing so, the institution said: “A true and correct copy of any diploma issued by CSU in 1979 to Mr Tinubu,” the US varsity said: “CSU does not, in the ordinary course, keep copies of student diplomas, and after the diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr Tinubu in 1979, hence, has no documents responsive to this request.”