A US federal court is set to rule on whether to release the academic records of President Bola Tinubu from Chicago State University (CSU) to his rival Atiku Abubakar, who is challenging his election victory at Nigeria’s Supreme Court. Mr Abubakar, who lost the presidential election in February 2023, has requested the US court to subpoena CSU for Mr Tinubu’s records, alleging that the president lied about his education and qualifications.
Mr Abubakar’s lawyers have asked the court to expedite the process, as they have only 14 days to file an appeal at the Supreme Court, which has 60 days to hear and deliver a verdict on the matter. The US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago has moved up the date for in-person arguments of the lawyers of Messrs Abubakar, Tinubu and CSU from September 15 to September 12, citing “exigent circumstances” of the request. Judge Jeffrey Gilbert strongly advised lawyers on both sides of the matter to appear in court for a hearing on Tuesday ahead of an imminent ruling during the week.
Mr Tinubu’s background has been a subject of controversy and speculation in Nigerian politics, as he has not disclosed much information about his parents, childhood, primary and secondary education. He claims to have been a top accountant at Deloitte and later an executive at Mobil in the 1980s, but his involvement in Chicago’s narcotics business that led to the confiscation of his funds in the 1990s has cast doubts on his integrity and credibility.
Mr Abubakar hopes to use the CSU records to prove that Mr Tinubu did not meet the constitutional requirements to run for president and that his election was invalid and fraudulent. If the US court gransignificantly impact could have a significant impact on the outcome of his appeal and the fate of Mr Tinubu’s presidency. However, if the court denies or delays the request, Mr Abubakar may face a difficult challenge to overturn the tribunal’s verdict that upheld Mr Tinubu’s victory.
Source: [Vanguard]
