The All Progressives Congress (APC) has derided the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for his attempt to obtain President Bola Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University, United States, calling it a futile endeavor.
The ruling party expressed its lack of concern, citing the President’s openness about having nothing to hide.
In response to a court order issued by Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the US District Court, Chicago State University is directed to provide relevant and non-privileged documents related to Tinubu’s academic history to Atiku within two days.
US court orders Chicago state university to release Tinubu’s academic records
The documents sought include records of admission, attendance dates, degrees, awards, and honors earned by Tinubu at the university.
Despite this development, the APC’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, dismissed the court order, emphasizing that the President’s transparency is unquestionable. He referred to it as an expedition in futility.
The Presidency asserted that Tinubu’s academic records would hold no value for Atiku’s presidential election case, as the evidence provided earlier remains unchanged.
The presidential aide argued that the Supreme Court does not admit new evidence beyond what was presented in the court of first instance.
Atiku’s legal team sought to obtain Tinubu’s academic records, alleging discrepancies and forgery.
However, Chicago State University confirmed Tinubu’s attendance in response to earlier inquiries.
In his recent post on social media, Atiku expressed confusion about Tinubu’s educational journey, questioning the claims made by the former Lagos State governor.
The US court ruling granting Atiku’s request was commended by the PDP, with Atiku’s media aide stating that it would reveal Tinubu’s alleged secrets and deepen democracy.
The ruling is seen as a significant development in the ongoing legal battles related to the presidential election.
In response, Tinubu’s lawyers argued that a clerical error led to the discrepancies in the issued certificate, but the court ruled that relevant documents should be provided.
This ruling is expected to shed light on the longstanding controversies surrounding Tinubu’s academic background.