As directed by a court in the United States of America, former Nigeria’s Vice President Atiku Abubakar has received the academic records of President Bola Tinubu from Chicago State University, CSU.
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 record, a US district judge dismissed the President’s objection.
The judge ruled: “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.
“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.
“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.”
In the CSU documents, which went viral late Monday night, the institution responded to Atiku’s four requests.
Responding to Atiku’s request for “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.”
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Atiku intends to use the CSU academic record in pursuit of his appeal at the Supreme Court where he is challenging Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election.
But Tinubu’s legal team has argued that the documents would be of no use at the Supreme Court. – THE PUNCH
