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US Court Orders Release Of Tinubu’s Records From Chicago Varsity
The order was issued shortly after Abubakar had submitted his appeal to the Supreme Court
A federal court in Chicago, USA, has ordered Chicago State University (CSU) to promptly provide all academic records pertaining to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, within a two-day timeframe.
The court ruled that the former vice president had effectively established the relevance of acquiring these records for his stated objectives.
Judge Jeffrey Gilbert also mandated that specified CSU officials must be deposed within two days of the records being released, and he emphasized that the deposition process could take place over the weekend if it becomes necessary.
Gilbert ruled: “For all of the reasons discussed above, Atiku Abubakar’s application pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782 for an order directing discovery from Chicago State University for use in a foreign proceeding [ECF No. 1] is granted.
“Respondent CSU shall produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to requests for production Nos. 1 through 4 (as narrowed by the court) in applicant subpoena within two days of the entry of this memorandum opinion and order.
“The deposition of respondent’s corporate designee shall proceed within two days of the production of documents. The parties can modify the dates set by the court by mutual agreement. Given the tight time frame under which the parties are operating, the deposition can, if necessary, occur on a non-weekday”.
The order was issued shortly after Abubakar had submitted his appeal to the Supreme Court, a response to the presidential election petitions tribunal’s decision on September 6, which confirmed Tinubu’s victory.
On August 2, Atiku filed an application with the court, seeking an order for CSU to release documents pertaining to Tinubu. Additionally, he requested permission to involve the school’s administrators in verifying any documents submitted under oath.
He indicated that the documents would be employed as a crucial element of his legal challenge against President Tinubu’s election.
Atiku, a former vice president, asserted that Tinubu should not have been permitted to contest the presidential election because he alleged that Tinubu had submitted a falsified document under oath, thereby violating the Nigerian constitution.