Chicago State University (CSU) says it will release the academic records of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if a United States court grants the order.
As spotted in a document, the university asked the court to direct “only limited and targeted discovery” of the information sought by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election.
Recall that, Abubakar approached a US Court at the northern district of Illinois in Chicago, for an order compelling CSU to release the academic records of Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress. .
Tinubu’s credentials show that he graduated from CSU in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting and management, but there have been allegations bordering on discrepancies with the President’s certificate.
In the suit filed before the US district court, Abubakar prayed that the court should subpoena Tinubu’s files domiciled with CSU as the files will settle the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s academic background and aid the election petition tribunal.
But the President, through his lawyers, had filed a counter application opposing the request for the release of his academic records.
The university, in its response to Atiku’s application, said it does not “understand” why Tinubu’s academic records “could possibly have any bearing on a 2023 election challenge in a foreign country.”
It further argued that some requests in the application are “clearly inappropriate,” adding that the applicant is also seeking the employment details of one of his former employees.
“Finally, in the event the Court determines to allow any discovery to proceed here, the University urges the Court to direct only limited, targeted discovery on the University.
“As leave to issue any discovery has not yet been granted, and the Court’s views on what if any discovery is appropriate here under 28 U.S.C. §1782 are not yet known, it is premature for the University to raise objections to the scope of the documents and information sought in Abubakar’s two subpoenas.
“But without limiting further objections, which the University expressly reserves, the University notes that the scope and relevancy of certain of Abubakar’s requests are clearly inappropriate.
“For example, Abubakar’s document subpoena Request No. 5 seeks information on diplomas issued by the University for a 44-year period (1979 to the present), and Abubakar’s deposition subpoena Topic No. 7 seeks information on the employment status and reasons for departure of a former employee in the University’s General Counsel’s Office.
“Following this Court’s ruling on the Application, should any discovery be permitted, the University will meet and confer promptly and in good faith with Abubakar’s counsel to attempt to address all the University’s concerns,” CSU said in a response filed by Michael Hayes, its counsel.
Note that the Presidential Election Petition Court has completed proceedings on the case against Tinubu and will announce a date for judgment.
