President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged a United States judge to place an hold on the order for his university records to be released.
This, he said, will save him from suffering severe and irreparable damage.
According to Peoples Gazette, Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court on September 19 ordered Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s records to his Nigerian political opponent, Atiku Abubakar.
But as the school started preparing to release the files, Tinubu entered an emergency application in the district asking a senior judge to review Gilbert’s September 19 order and delay execution until at least September 25.
Tinubu’s lawyers, led by Christopher Carmichael had said, “Due to the timing for compliance by Chicago State University – later today – Intervenor is filing this motion separately from its challenge to the Magistrate’s ruling on the application. Intervenor intends to file, by the end of the day, a substantive brief addressing the errors in the Magistrate’s decision.”
Judge Nancy Maldonado of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago, however scheduled an urgent hearing on the matter.
At the hearing, Tinubu said the damage he would suffer would be impossible to mitigate if the order directing the release of his academic records to former Vice-President is not delayed for possible vacation.
“Severe and irreparable harm will be done to Bola Tinubu if the records are released,” Tinubu’s lawyer argued at an emergency appeal before Judge Maldonado.
“If the records are released, harm will be done and cannot be taken back to the bottle,” Tinubu’s lawyer added during the court hearing that began at 3:00 p.m. via telephone conference.
Chicago State University was ordered to release the documents to Abubakar unfailingly on Thursday.
But as the 48-hour deadline loomed on Thursday afternoon, Tinubu suddenly approached Ms Maldonado, seeking a delay, and suddenly elevating the desperate situation of the matter to include potential damage to Tinubu’s life.
Judge Maldonado subsequently granted the application to delay the release of the documents, ordering all parties to file their full briefs by September 25.
