Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has urgently approached a United States court seeking to prevent the release of his academic records from Chicago State University (CSU) to opposition leader, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Tinubu’s lawyers argue that disclosing these records would result in “severe and irreparable harm” to the president.
The appeal was filed in response to a judgment on September 6, 2023 that directed CSU to disclose Tinubu’s academic documents to Abubakar.
The opposition leader has been looking to acquire these records due to alleged inconsistencies in the academic qualifications Tinubu presented to the public.
Abubakar’s efforts saw a breakthrough on Tuesday, September 19, 2023,  when Judge Gilbert ruled in his favor, instructing CSU to produce the documents and also directing the university’s administration to give a deposition.
Abubakar aims to utilize these records to challenge Tinubu’s presidential eligibility, relying on the section of the Nigerian constitution that disqualifies a candidate found to have submitted a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While CSU confirmed that Tinubu was an alumnus, they expressed reservations about vouching for his certificate’s authenticity, stating that they were uncertain of its source.
President Tinubu’s initial resistance to the document release was grounded in his belief that the papers would not stand in Nigeria’s Supreme Court. Abubakar’s plan is to use the documents as evidence in his Supreme Court appeal challenging a tribunal’s decision which affirmed Tinubu’s election win on September 6. The appeal was filed on September 19, coinciding with Judge Gilbert’s two-day ultimatum for CSU to release the academic records.
With the deadline approaching, Tinubu turned to Judge Nancy Maldonado, seeking an emergency intervention. The urgency of the matter was amplified when potential threats to Tinubu’s life were introduced into the narrative.
In light of these developments, Judge Maldonado granted Tinubu’s application for a delay, setting September 25 as the deadline for all concerned parties to submit their complete arguments.
The situation underscores the heightened political tensions in Nigeria as opposition figures strive to hold leaders accountable, leveraging legal avenues both nationally and internationally.