Chicago University releases Tinubu's records to Atiku following request

The academic records of President Bola Tinubu have been made available to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by Chicago State University in the United States of America.

In accordance with the directive of a United States District Court in the Northern District of Illinois, the CSU provided the records to Atiku on Monday.

An American district judge rejected the President's protest and ordered the CSU to disclose Tinubu's academic record.

The judge ruled: “For the foregoing reasons, the court overrules President Tinubu’s objections to Magistrate Judge Gilbert’s recommended ruling, and therefore, adopts the ruling in full.

"Mr Atiku’s Application is, therefore, granted. In light of the pending Supreme Court of Nigeria deadline, represented to the court as October 5, 2023, and based on CSU’s representations that it is ready to comply with the discovery requests and produce a witness, the court sets an expedited schedule for completion of discovery.

"Respondent CSU is directed to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to Requests for Production Nos. The Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Given the October 5, 2023, filing deadline before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the court will not extend or modify these deadlines.”

In the CSU documents, which went viral late Monday night, the institution responded to Atiku’s four requests.

Responding to Atiku’s request for “A true and correct copy of any diploma issued by CSU in 1979 to Mr Tinubu,” the US varsity said: “CSU does not, in the ordinary course, keep copies of student diplomas, and after the diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr Tinubu in 1979, hence, has no documents responsive to this request.”

Atiku plans to utilise the CSU academic record in his Supreme Court appeal, where he is contesting Tinubu's victory in the election for president on February 25.

However, Tinubu's legal counsel has contended that the records would be useless in court.

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