Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
After months of legal battle at the United States court, the Chicago State University, has finally released the academic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar.
Responding to Atiku’s request for “A true and correct copy of any diploma issued by CSU in 1979 to Mr Tinubu,” the US varsity said: “CSU does not, in the ordinary course, keep copies of student diplomas, and after the diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr Tinubu in 1979, hence, has no documents responsive to this request.”
The CSU released the documents to Atiku on Monday in compliance with the order of a United States District Court in Northern District of Illinois.
Recall that a US district judge had dismissed Tinubu’s objection and ordered CSU to release Tinubu’s academic credentials to Atiku.
“For the foregoing reasons, the court overrules President Tinubu’s objections to Magistrate Judge Gilbert’s recommended ruling, and therefore, adopts the ruling in full,” the court ordered.
The court had further ordered: “Mr Atiku’s Application is, therefore, granted. In light of the pending Supreme Court of Nigeria deadline, represented to the court as October 5, 2023, and based on CSU’s representations that it is ready to comply with the discovery requests and produce a witness, the court sets an expedited schedule for completion of discovery.
“Respondent CSU is directed to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to Requests for Production Nos. The Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Given the October 5, 2023, filing deadline before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the court will not extend or modify these deadlines.”
