In a significant legal development, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has issued a ruling granting the request made by Atiku Abubakar for the release of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records by Chicago State University (CSU).
Atiku Abubakar was the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s presidential election held in February 2023, which produced the incumbent president Bola Tinubu as the winner.
The ruling, delivered by US Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert on Tuesday, orders Chicago State University to provide “all relevant and non-privileged documents” to Atiku Abubakar within two days.
This legal move follows Atiku’s application pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782, which sought an order directing discovery from the university for use in a foreign proceeding.
Notably, the ruling recognizes Tinubu’s legal team’s argument against lifting their client’s privacy privilege, emphasizing that only “non-privileged documents” should be produced.
Chicago State University had previously indicated in August that it would release Tinubu’s academic records if a US court granted the order, and the court has now affirmed this decision.
The Legal Background and Appeals
Atiku Abubakar initiated this legal action to compel the university to release Bola Tinubu’s academic records. It’s worth noting that this development comes shortly after the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal affirmed Tinubu’s victory in a closely watched case.
In response to the tribunal’s ruling, Atiku and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, have filed 86 grounds of appeal at the Supreme Court, challenging the judgment.
These appeals, filed separately, call for the Supreme Court to set aside the PEPT ruling and nullify Tinubu’s election, alleging errors in the verdict.
Atiku’s appeal centers on 35 grounds, where he questions the tribunal’s decisions on issues such as electronic transmission of results and Federal Capital Territory votes.
Peter Obi, in his appeal, disputes the September 6 judgment on 51 grounds, raising concerns about various aspects of the ruling.
Looking Ahead
This legal saga surrounding the release of Bola Tinubu’s academic records adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal challenges related to the presidential election.
As the Supreme Court reviews the appeals filed by Atiku and Peter Obi, the outcome could have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s political landscape.
It remains to be seen how these legal proceedings will unfold and whether they will impact the status of President Tinubu’s victory.
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