The United States court for the Northern District of Illinois has approved a temporary hold on the order requiring Chicago State University (CSU) to release President Bola Tinubu’s academic records within 48 hours.
This decision was reached during an emergency hearing on Thursday, presided over by Judge Nancy Maldonado.
She has instructed both parties to submit additional arguments by the following Thursday.
Tinubu’s legal team had requested a review of Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert’s initial decision, a request that Judge Maldonado granted, acknowledging the importance of respecting legal deadlines in Nigeria.
“The issue is of process and rules. I’m a rule person; that’s why I’m a judge. This case is quite involved. I am aware of the stakes. It’s more important to me to get this right,” she said.
Tinubu’s credentials indicate that he obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, and management from CSU in 1979.
However, there have been allegations of discrepancies related to Tinubu’s certificate.
Atiku filed a lawsuit in the US district court, requesting that the court subpoena Tinubu’s files held by CSU to resolve the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s academic background.
In response, Tinubu’s legal team filed a counter application opposing the release of his academic records.
Tinubu also sought to join the lawsuit as it pertains to his personal information.
The motion filed by Christopher Carmichael, Tinubu’s lawyer, read:
“Mr. Tinubu should be allowed to join or intervene because he has a direct personal interest in records sought, his interests are not fully represented or protected by Respondent Chicago State University, and his interests will be affected if he is not permitted to join or intervene”.
Atiku Abubakar had filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the tribunal’s judgment that affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s election.
During the hearing on Thursday, Michael Hayes, the attorney representing Chicago State University (CSU), expressed the university’s willingness to provide the requested documents once the legal issues are resolved.
Hayes also mentioned that the university had incurred significant legal fees and unwarranted bad publicity due to the political dispute involving its records.
“We don’t have a dog in this fight,” Hayes said.
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