JUST IN: Severe, Irreparable Harm Will Be Done To Me If CSU Release my records

President Bola Tinubu urgently appealed before a United States judge to prevent severe and irreparable harm resulting from the release of his university records by Chicago University. He requested an emergency hold on the September 6th order that directed the disclosure of his academic records to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Mr. Tinubu argued that the potential harm would be impossible to rectify if the order wasn’t delayed. His lawyer emphasized this point during an emergency appeal before Judge Nancy Maldonado of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.

During the telephone conference court hearing that commenced at 3:00 p.m., Mr. Tinubu’s lawyer stressed that once the records are released, the damage cannot be undone. The order had instructed Chicago State University to provide the documents to Mr. Abubakar immediately.

The ongoing hearing aimed to postpone the order’s enforcement, with the crux of the matter being Mr. Abubakar’s subpoena application to access Mr. Tinubu’s records at Chicago State University. This request was prompted by doubts about the authenticity of Mr. Tinubu’s academic records already in the public domain.

The application was granted in a judgment issued by Judge Gilbert on Tuesday, which not only called for the production of the documents but also the deposition of the school’s administrators. Mr. Abubakar intended to use these records to establish Mr. Tinubu’s ineligibility for the presidency based on a constitutional provision disqualifying candidates who submit forged certificates to the electoral office INEC.

Chicago State University officials maintained that Mr. Tinubu attended the institution, but they could not verify his certificate under oath due to its origin being unclear.

Initially, Mr. Tinubu argued against releasing the documents to Mr. Abubakar, claiming they wouldn’t be admissible before the Nigerian Supreme Court, where Abubakar intended to submit them as part of his appeal against a tribunal verdict certifying Mr. Tinubu’s election on September 6.

Mr. Abubakar submitted his appeal to the Supreme Court on September 19, the same day Judge Gilbert ordered Chicago State University to release Mr. Tinubu’s records within two days. However, as the 48-hour deadline approached on Thursday afternoon, Mr. Tinubu requested a delay from Judge Maldonado, elevating the matter’s urgency, citing potential harm to his life.

Judge Maldonado subsequently approved the application to delay the release of the documents and instructed all parties to file their full briefs by September 25.