Fresh Twist In Tinubu’s Academic Records As US Court Halts Release

President Bola Tinubu has secured a temporary stay on the release of his academic records being sought by his fierce rival, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP after Judge Nancy Maldonado of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ordered that the records should not be released yet.

Atiku has requested Tinubu’s academic records be released to him which he believes will aid his petition in the Nigerian court in his quest to nullify the result of the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku’s application was earlier granted on Tuesday by Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, who ordered that all documents being sought concerning the individual, Tinubu should be released.

But in a fresh twist that has hit the case, Tinubu through his lawyers approached a higher court for a temporary halt on the release of the documents arguing that their release will result in severe consequences.

According to Tinubu, there would be consequential damages if the documents are released as he occupies an important position.

Following his argument, Judge Maldonado, acquiesced that the magistrate’s order should be delayed.

Judge Maldonado ruled, “This needs to be handled with care.”

The judge added, “I may ultimately adopt the magistrate’s recommendation and allow the discovery to go forward, or I can ask all parties to file briefs afresh.”

Both parties would file their brief with Tinubu allowed until Monday to make a case why the order of the magistrate should not be allowed to stand.

The local contest for the Nigerian Presidency escalated when Atiku applied for full release of documents concerning Tinubu following years of controversy of the true identity of the former Lagos State Governor.

Tinubu’s age, full name, secondary education, sex and work experiences have been subjects of intense public controversy following discrepancies on his filing to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking electoral offices since 1999.

Although the Lagos State House of Assembly had investigated the controversy, he was given a clean bill of health while late Gani Fawehinmi’s court case to force the truth of Tinubu who at the time was governor of Lagos State also failed.

The court threw out the late legal giant’s case against Tinubu that as a sitting governor, he enjoyed immunity.

Atiku through his counsel held that unravelling who Tinubu is would settle the controversy which has lingered for decades.

The higher court decision comes a few days after the former Vice President appealed the decision of the presidential election petition tribunal to the supreme court which affirmed the election of Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC as the winner of the disputed election.