US court orders release of Tinubu’s academic records

Reports indicate that a United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, has granted the request filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, seeking the release of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records by the Chicago State University.

Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, a US magistrate, gave the ruling on Tuesday, ordering CSU to produce “all relevant and non-privileged documents” to Abubakar Atiku, the plaintiff, within two days.

“This matter is before the Court on Atiku Abubakar’s Application Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782 for an Order Directing Discovery from Chicago State University for Use in a Foreign Proceeding (“Application”) [ECF No. 1]. For the reasons discussed below, the Application is granted,” the judge ruled.

Tinubu’s lawyers have argued that their client is not willing to lift his privacy privilege, with the ruling also conceding this by using the term ‘non-privileged documents”.

Atiku had approached the court seeking an order that will compel the university to release Tinubu’s records. Although Tinubu’s credentials indicated that he graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, there have been allegations bordering on discrepancies in the President’s certificate.