A United States District Judge, Nancy Maldonado, has granted a request to stay an order requiring Chicago State University (CSU) to provide the academic documents of President Bola Tinubu to the legal team of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The hearing occurred late Thursday night after President Tinubu’s lawyers filed an emergency motion seeking a delay in implementing the order for CSU to comply with Atiku’s subpoenas until Monday.
Previously, a magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, had directed Tinubu’s alma mater to furnish all relevant and non-privileged documents to Atiku within two days. These documents included records of admission, acceptance, dates of attendance, degrees, awards, and honors received by Tinubu during his time at the university.
President Tinubu’s legal team argued that the magistrate’s decision needed review by a district judge rather than an appeal. They emphasized that a magistrate lacks the authority to issue an order for the release of non-privileged information and can only make recommendations.
Coordinator of Tinubu’s Presidential Legal Team, Babatunde Ogala, clarified that they were seeking a review and not an appeal. He explained that the magistrate’s role was to make a recommendation to the district judge, who would make the final decision within 48 hours.
Ogala stated that Chicago State University had already confirmed Tinubu’s attendance at the institution and provided records of his admission and academic performance. He questioned the necessity of releasing additional information and argued that Atiku’s request appeared fraudulent.
Following the emergency hearing, Judge Maldonado agreed to delay the release of Tinubu’s academic documents until Monday. She acknowledged the complexity of the case and the importance of adhering to legal processes and rules.
In the meantime, President Tinubu had departed New York after attending the 78th session of high-level meetings of the UN General Assembly. During his visit, he addressed world leaders on the significance of democracy and condemned military coups.
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