Says.. People are making issues out of Nothing
…..magistrate can only recommend as Tinubu as nothing to hide
President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, filed an emergency motion to stop the Chicago State University, United States, from releasing his academic record to the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Tinubu is seeking a delay in the implementation of the self-effectuating order directing the CSU to comply with Atiku’s subpoenas till Monday.
Magistrate Jeffrey Gilbert of the US District Court for Northern District of Illinois, had on Tuesday ordered Tinubu’s alma mater to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to the applicant, Atiku, within two days.
Documents sought by the PDP candidate, through his counsel, Angela Liu, include the record of admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards, and honours attained by Tinubu at the university, among others.
The All Progress Congress,APC, had dismissed the efforts of the PDP standard bearer to obtain the President’s academic record as ‘’an expedition in futility.’’
The ruling party said it had nothing to fear as the President had always boasted that he had nothing to hide.
But Atiku in pursuit of his allegations that Tinubu was ineligible to contest the February 2023 presidential election secured the order to compel the CSU to release the President’s record.
Tinubu’s emergency motion was electronically filed with the Clerk of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois through the Case Management/Electronic Case File.
Reactions
Reacting to reports that the President was attempting to block the release of his educational record to Atiku, the Coordinator of Tinubu Presidential Legal Team, Babatunde Ogala, SAN, clarified that what they were seeking was a review and not an appeal of the order.
Speaking to The PUNCH on the phone from the US on Thursday night, Ogala emphasised that the US magistrate does not have the power to order the university to release non-privileged information, adding that he could only make a recommendation.
He stated, “As I am talking to you, I am in America and on top of this matter. Our people are just making issues out of nothing. What did the magistrate do? I think we need to understand the American procedure.
‘’The magistrate is to make a recommendation to the district judge and not to give a final order. No, he cannot. He has no such powers. And that is what we are saying to the district judge. They are to make a recommendation, which must be within 48 hours.
“In any case, what is the issue here? Whatever you said you wanted, the court said ‘release non-privileged’. After all, they have confirmed that the man attended their school, got his letter of admission as well as first, second, third and fourth semester results.
