Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, has taken legal action in the United States to halt the release of his academic records to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Tinubu filed an emergency application requesting a review of a prior court ruling mandating the release of these records to Atiku Abubakar. This move comes after a separate court had previously granted Atiku the right to access these documents.
“Severe and irreparable harm will be done to Bola Tinubu if the records are released,” Mr Tinubu’s lawyer argued at an emergency appeal before Judge Nancy Maldonado of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.
Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court had on September 19 ordered Chicago State University to release Mr Tinubu’s records to his Nigerian political opponent as part of an ongoing election challenge proceeding in Nigeria.
The judge said the records must be turned over to Mr Abubakar on September 21. He also said school administrators must submit themselves to certify all released records under oath.
But as the school started preparing to release the files, Mr Tinubu entered an emergency application in the district asking a senior judge to review Mr Gilbert’s September 19 order and delay execution until at least September 25.