In a recent development, a United States District Court in the Northern District of Illinois has approved the request made by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, for access to President Bola Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University.
The ruling, issued by US Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert on Tuesday, directs Chicago State University to furnish Atiku Abubakar with “all relevant and non-privileged documents” within a two-day timeframe. It’s worth noting that Tinubu’s legal team had argued against lifting their client’s privacy privilege, emphasizing that only “non-privileged documents” should be disclosed.
The court’s decision is rooted in Atiku’s legal action, where he sought an order compelling the university to release Tinubu’s academic records.
This development comes on the heels of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal affirming Tinubu’s victory just two weeks ago. In response, Atiku Abubakar, along with his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, has lodged appeals at the Supreme Court, presenting 86 grounds to challenge the tribunal’s ruling and seek the nullification of Tinubu’s election victory. These appeals, filed separately on Tuesday, contend that the tribunal’s verdict contained errors, with Atiku’s appeal focusing on 35 grounds related to issues like electronic transmission of results and votes in the Federal Capital Territory. Meanwhile, Obi’s appeal challenges the September 6 judgment on 51 grounds.