The legal teams representing President Bola Tinubu and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, are poised to resume their legal battle concerning President Tinubu’s academic records at a United States court on Monday.
This development follows a recent decision by US District Judge, Nancy Maldonado, who, on Thursday, granted a stay order that temporarily halted the directive for Chicago State University (CSU) to release President Tinubu’s academic documents to Atiku’s legal team.
The urgency of this matter was emphasized during a late-night hearing on Thursday when President Tinubu’s lawyers filed an emergency motion, requesting a delay in implementing the order that required CSU to comply with Atiku’s subpoenas, extending the deadline to Monday.
Atiku is currently challenging the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, which affirmed President Tinubu’s victory, and his recent validation by a Nigerian election petition court.
Earlier in the week, Magistrate Jeffrey Gilbert had ordered Tinubu’s alma mater, CSU, to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to Atiku, including records of admission, acceptance, dates of attendance, degrees, awards, and honors achieved by the former Lagos State governor while at the university.
As the deadline set by Magistrate Gilbert approached on Thursday, President Tinubu’s legal team approached Judge Maldonado, contending that Gilbert’s earlier decision required review by a district judge.
The request for a review and a delay of the order until Monday was granted by Judge Maldonado, who expressed her commitment to expedite the process, recognizing the legal deadlines in Nigeria.
Atiku’s camp insists that President Tinubu should not be hiding anything and that they will patiently await the court’s decision, expecting any hidden information to come to light.
Paul Ibe, Atiku’s media adviser, questioned why President Tinubu would withhold his academic records, emphasizing the importance of transparency and due process for the leader of Nigeria.
On the other side, Babatunde Ogala, the Coordinator of Tinubu’s Presidential Legal Team, indicated that their team is prepared for Atiku’s next legal move, stating that they will meet the challenge head-on.
While there is uncertainty about the contents of President Tinubu’s academic record and why he may be resisting its release, both legal teams are gearing up for further legal proceedings on Monday.
Additionally, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) called on President Tinubu to release his academic credentials to ease growing tensions and suspicions, highlighting that this controversy could potentially distract from his leadership.
Peter Obi’s campaign team, representing the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, also urged President Tinubu to present his academic records to dispel doubts and prove his critics wrong.
In summary, the legal battle over President Tinubu’s academic records continues in the US court, with both sides poised for further proceedings and growing public scrutiny.