Academic Records: US court sets 25 August as deadline for Tinubu to present compelling arguments to Atiku
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago has imposed a deadline of August 23 for President Bola Tinubu to present compelling arguments against the release of his academic records from Chicago State University to his political rival, Atiku Abubakar, as revealed in court filings obtained by Peoples Gazette.
Mr. Abubakar submitted a request earlier this month to subpoena Mr. Tinubu’s records from CSU, citing discrepancies in Mr. Tinubu’s background. Publicly accessible documents suggested that a female student with the same name and birthdate as Tinubu was admitted to CSU in the 1970s.
READ ALSO: Tinubus Academic History Under Scrutiny: August 23 deadline set
Tinubu has previously claimed different birth years, including the conflicting years of 1952 and 1954. He also removed information about his primary and secondary education after it was discovered that the schools he mentioned during his 1999 run for Lagos governor did not exist.
Tinubu swiftly filed a motion opposing the release, citing U.S. student privacy laws. However, the court expressed interest in allowing the case to proceed after Mr. Abubakar argued that it fell within its jurisdiction.
The newly appointed magistrate judge, Jeffrey Gilbert, has now set a deadline of August 23 for Tinubu to present his arguments as to why CSU should not release the records.
Furthermore, the court ordered Mr. Abubakar to respond to Tinubu’s argument by September 9, following Tinubu’s anticipated response. The court aims to reach a decision before September 21, when Nigeria’s election petitions tribunal is expected to deliver its judgment on the suit challenging Tinubu’s election victory.
This case involving Tinubu’s academic history is just one of several arguments put forth by Mr. Abubakar’s legal team in Nigerian courts to invalidate Tinubu’s presidency and his eligibility to stand for future elections. Allegations ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering and election fraud are also being addressed.
Tinubu, who assumed office as Nigerian president on May 29, maintains that he attended CSU and dismisses his involvement in a narcotics scandal from the 1990s as a civil forfeiture proceeding with no criminal implications for his political aspirations.
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