U.S. legal professionals are expressing confusion over Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s determined efforts to prevent the release of his academic records and delay related legal proceedings.
Lawyers working for Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar have filed a request for a federal court to issue a subpoena for Chicago State University to disclose President Tinubu’s academic records. Court documents obtained by Peoples Gazette reveal that the Nigerian leader has strongly contested this request
Liu Angela, a representative for Mr. Abubakar, expressed her team’s bafflement at President Tinubu’s resistance to their inquiry into documents that are already publicly available or have been submitted in Nigerian legal processes. The legal team’s objective is to understand the University’s position on the provision of these documents to other Nigerian litigants and their authenticity.
Chicago State University had previously confirmed to The Gazette that a Bola Tinubu had graduated on June 22, 1979. However, they did not provide further information regarding the gender of this student or whether it is the same individual who now holds Nigeria’s presidency.
Ms. Angela pointed out that President Tinubu, who leads Africa’s biggest economy, should be motivated to clarify any incongruities related to his academic achievements and expedite the legal process. She emphasized that his steadfast refusal to disclose his academic records fuels suspicions and suggests a possible cover-up.
The legal representative for Mr. Abubakar also noted that President Tinubu’s actions have been disruptive to the judicial process. He was recommended to join the case earlier to prevent opposition, but he remained silent until an ‘Order Directing Discovery’ of his academic records was filed in court. Following this, Mr. Tinubu applied to join the case without consulting with Mr. Abubakar, leading to suspicions of deliberate delay.
Mr. Abubakar is hopeful that the revelation of the academic records will bolster his case at the presidential elections petitions tribunal. He aims to demonstrate that President Tinubu may have misrepresented his qualifications, which could lead to his disqualification.
SOURCE: People’s Gazette
IMAGE: Politics Nigeria
