Tinubu blocks release of University records in election dispute
President Bola Tinubu has filed a motion to block a U.S. Federal Court from releasing his university academic records to Atiku Abubakar, his primary opponent in Nigeria’s February 2023 presidential election.
Documents obtained by the Peoples Gazette reveal that on August 2, Abubakar approached the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, seeking a subpoena for Chicago State University (CSU) to provide Tinubu’s school records.
This move is based on long-standing controversies surrounding President Tinubu’s educational background.
Journalist David Hundeyin discovered records indicating that a Bola Tinubu who attended Chicago State University in the 1970s was registered as female.
Although the CSU registrar’s office confirmed the graduation of a Bola Tinubu on June 22, 1979, they did not clarify the student’s gender or whether this individual is the same person currently holding Nigeria’s presidency.
Abubakar’s request for these documents is part of his legal strategy to challenge the validity of Tinubu’s presidency, which was declared on March 1, 2023, following the fiercely contested February 23 election.
READ ALSO: Atiku files new lawsuit questioning President Tinubu’s academic records
In response, Tinubu promptly assembled a team of attorneys to be added as an interested party in the lawsuit. He asserted that Chicago State University might not adequately protect his interests as the records’ owner.
Tinubu’s motion, filed on August 3 by his Chicago attorney Christopher Carmichael, argued, “Tinubu should be allowed to join or intervene because he has a direct personal interest in records sought, his interests are not fully represented or protected by Respondent Chicago State University, and his interests will be affected if he is not permitted to join or intervene.”
The filing further highlighted that Chicago State University’s position was limited to providing notice and facilitating access to the records. They did not consider it their obligation to oppose the request, indicating that they might not fully represent Mr. Tinubu’s interests.
Tinubu contended that these records should remain confidential, citing a 1974 privacy law safeguarding American students’ information. His legal team argued that Abubakar’s lawsuit indirectly targets Tinubu by seeking records that federal and state governments have deemed private.
The case has been assigned to a federal judge, with both parties anticipating a swift resolution due to the Nigerian election petitions tribunal’s expected verdict around September 21, 2023. Abubakar had initially filed a suit in a county court in Chicago, but he withdrew it in favour of a more comprehensive federal case.
This move led to the county judge removing the earlier case and allowing Mr. Abubakar’s federal complaint to proceed. While some Nigerian media outlets inaccurately reported the earlier case as dismissed, Mr. Abubakar’s filing clarified that he voluntarily withdrew it to avoid any appearance of court process abuse.
As a member of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar welcomed Tinubu’s decision to join the lawsuit. His legal team affirmed that they had no objections to Tinubu’s participation and had, in fact, previously suggested that he could join the proceedings.
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