…Says public interest significant to Nigerians
United States (US) Judge, Nancy Maldonado, says the U.S. Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago has been inundated with emails from Nigerians eagerly anticipating her decision on whether or not she will order Chicago State University (CSU) to release President Bola Tinubus records.
The Court notes that Court staff has received extensive email communications from members of the public related to this case, stated a court document entered into docket on Friday.
The court filing stated that as a result, she has decided to issue a ruling on the matter as soon as possible,
The Court understands the significant public interest in this dispute but the Court will not consider any third-party or ex parte submissions.
Recall that Tinubu and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, have been at loggerheads over the discrepancies in the Nigerian leaders CSU records, as the institution in response to a previous subpoena in 2022, released documents showing a female Bola Tinubu from South West college was admitted to the school to pursue a degree in accounting.
Also at issue was CSUs adamant refusal to authenticate the diploma Tinubu submitted to Nigerias electoral body, INEC, to be genuine or falsified, which has fuelled allegations of forgery and perjury for which Abubakar is seeking to void PresidentTinubus election victory at Nigerias Supreme Court.
Further confusing Abubakar were the signatures on the diploma that Tinubu submitted to INEC, which were those of two women, Elnora Daniel and Niva Lubin who joined CSU in 1998 and 1996, nearly 20 years after the president graduated in 1979.
The June 22 diploma has indicia of forgery, Angela Liu, the U.S. attorney representing Abubakar, told the court on Wednesday.
Judge Gilbert, on September 20, had ordered CSU to release Tinubus records but the president begged Ms Maldonado to delay the orders enforcement, pleading severe and irreparable damage to his life.
On September 6, the presidential elections petitions tribunal upheld Tinubus election victory. However, Abubakar strongly believes the decision was deeply flawed and a miscarriage of justice, leading him to file an appeal at the nations Supreme Court, where he plans to use the CSU records to show the president may have committed forgery and perjury, two serious allegations that, if proven, would not only result in Tinubus dismissal but also could permanently dent his political care.
