Us Court Asks Chicago State University To Release Tinubu's Records To Atiku

The recent court order from the United States, directing Chicago State University to release President Bola Tinubu's academic records to his rival presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has sparked intrigue and raised questions about the authenticity of Tinubu's qualifications. Atiku had filed an application in August, seeking to obtain the academic documents of Tinubu and challenging the legitimacy of the diploma presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the election.

Atiku's argument centered around the emergence of a "second Chicago State University diploma" bearing the name "Bola Ahmed Tinubu" but displaying different fonts, punctuation, seals, and signatures compared to the diploma submitted to INEC. This alleged discrepancy raised concerns about the veracity of Tinubu's academic qualifications and the potential use of a fraudulent document in the election.

In response to Atiku's application, a US magistrate judge ordered Chicago State University to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents within two days. The court deemed the requested documents necessary for Atiku to authenticate whether the diploma presented by Tinubu was genuine or forged. Atiku contended that if the diploma was indeed fraudulent, it would have disqualified Tinubu from participating in the election according to Nigerian law.

Tinubu, on the other hand, filed a motion to join the suit, arguing that the discovery Atiku sought was not relevant to the Nigerian proceedings because his educational background was not explicitly referenced in Atiku's petition. Tinubu emphasized that the issues regarding his academic qualifications were raised after the petition was filed and were not considered by the Nigerian Court of Appeal.

However, the US court agreed with Atiku's arguments and granted his application, stating that the documents requested from Chicago State University were relevant to the case. The court ordered the university to produce the requested documents and scheduled the deposition of a corporate designee within two days of document production.

It is important to note that this court order comes after the Nigerian Presidential Election Petition Tribunal dismissed Atiku's petition challenging Tinubu's election and alleging electoral fraud. Atiku's legal team argued that the tribunal's judgment contained errors and miscarriage of justice, leading to their subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court.

The release of Tinubu's academic records could potentially have significant implications for the ongoing legal battle between the two presidential candidates. As the appeal progresses, the Supreme Court will have the opportunity to review the lower court's decision and determine the outcome of Atiku's petition.

As the story continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how this development will impact the political landscape and the prospects of both Atiku Abubakar and Bola Ahmed Tinubu in their pursuit of the Nigerian presidency.