U.S. court sets August 23 deadline for Tinubu to justify why Chicago university records should not be released to Atiku Abubakar

President Bola Tinubu has been given until August 23 to provide compelling arguments against the release of his academic records to his rival, Atiku Abubakar. This information comes from court documents seen by the Peoples Gazette. The deadline was established on August 9 by Jeffrey Gilbert, the new magistrate judge overseeing the case at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.

Earlier this month, Atiku Abubakar requested court approval to subpoena Bola Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University (CSU). Atiku Abubakar believes that these records will help clarify inconsistencies in Tinubu’s background. Notably, public documents suggest that a female student named Bola Tinubu, born on March 29, 1954, was admitted to CSU in the 1970s. However, Bola Tinubu has claimed to have been born on March 29, 1952, though he has also previously listed 1954 as his birth year. He recently removed his primary and secondary education records from his records after it was discovered that the schools he listed did not exist in Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar hopes that the requested records will shed light on the educational documents Tinubu submitted to CSU during his admission for accounting studies.

Bola Tinubu swiftly filed a motion to oppose the release of the records, citing U.S. student privacy laws. Despite this, the court expressed interest in proceeding with the case after Atiku Abubakar argued that the court had jurisdiction. The judge has now set a deadline, requiring Bola Tinubu to submit his argument by August 23 explaining why CSU should not release his records to Atiku Abubakar.

Furthermore, the U.S. court has instructed Atiku Abubakar to respond to Bola Tinubu’s argument by September 9, which is two weeks after Tinubu’s response is expected. This timeline indicates that the court is aiming to make a ruling before September 21, when Nigeria’s election petitions tribunal is likely to deliver its judgment on the lawsuit challenging Bola Tinubu’s election victory.

It’s important to note that Atiku Abubakar’s legal team is pursuing various claims in Nigerian courts to nullify Bola Tinubu’s presidency and his eligibility for future elections. These claims encompass allegations of narcotics dealing, money laundering, and election fraud. Bola Tinubu, who assumed the role of Nigerian president on May 29, has denied these allegations, insisting that he attended CSU and downplaying the significance of a 1990s narcotics scandal as a civil forfeiture proceeding without criminal implications for his political aspirations.