Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
After months of legal fireworks, a United States court, has finally ordered the Chicago State University, CSU, to deposit the academic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The order was given by the US District court for the Northern district of Illinois following a suit filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar.
A memorandum signed by Jeffrey Gilbert, US magistrate judge, reads: “This matter is before the Court on Atiku Abubakar’s application pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782 for an order directing discovery from Chicago State University for use in a foreign proceeding (“Application”) [ECF No. 1]. For the reasons discussed below, the application is granted.”
Recall that CSU, had last month, said it would release the academic records of Tinubu on the orders of a US court.
Tinubu had claimed he graduated from CSU in 1979 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, accounting and management.
Meanwhile, the credentials have been raising dusts as some allege discrepancies with Tinubu’s certificate.
The court in the memorandum granting Atiku’s request said “the first intel factor weighs in favour of granting the application.”
“The first discretionary factor looks to whether the person from whom discovery is sought is a participant in the foreign proceedings,” the statement reads.
“Intel, 542 U.S. at 264. The parties agree that CSU is not a party in the Nigerian proceedings and is beyond the jurisdictional reach of the Nigerian courts.
“Accordingly, the court finds that factor one weighs in favour of granting the application.
“The parties can modify the dates set by the court by mutual agreement.
“Given the tight time frame under which the parties are operating, the deposition can, if necessary, occur on a non-week day. It is so ordered.”
