US court delays release of President Tinubu’s academic records

A United States court, presided over by Judge Nancy Maldonado, has granted a delay in enforcing an order that instructed Chicago State University (CSU) to release President Bola Tinubu’s academic records to the legal team of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The hearing took place late on Thursday night, triggered by an emergency motion submitted by President Tinubu’s lawyers.

The motion sought to postpone the enforcement of a self-executing order issued by Jeffrey Gilbert earlier this week. The initial order required CSU to comply with Atiku’s subpoenas within two days.

Atiku, the People’s Democratic Party candidate, had requested various academic records, including admissions details, acceptance documents, attendance records, degrees, awards, and honours received by the former Lagos State governor during his time at the university, among other information.

READ ALSO: Tinubu files emergency appeal to block release of academic records

President Tinubu’s legal team argued that Gilbert’s decision needed a review by a district judge rather than being perceived as an appeal, as reported by some media outlets.

They emphasized that the magistrate’s authority was limited to making recommendations, not mandating the release of non-privileged information.

Babatunde Ogala, the Coordinator of Tinubu’s Presidential Legal Team, clarified their position in a phone conversation with The PUNCH, stating that they requested a review, not an appeal.

The US district judge approved the request for a review and subsequently postponed the enforcement of the order until Monday.

During the emergency hearing, Judge Maldonado acknowledged the legal deadlines in Nigeria and pledged to rule on the matter expeditiously.

She stated, “I will have a busy weekend. The issue is about processes and rules. I am a stickler for rules; that’s why I am a judge. This case is quite intricate. I understand the significance. Getting it right is more crucial to me than anything else.”

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