Tinubu’s Chicago certificate controversy gets messier as Atiku digs up fresh details

In the ongoing legal battle over the release of academic records from Chicago State University (CSU), Atiku Abubakar, the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has responded to objections raised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Tinubu had cited privacy laws to block the release of his educational records.

Atiku firmly asserted in his reply that Tinubu’s objection lacked merit and competency.

He noted that all objections raised by Tinubu were already addressed by Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, who ruled in favor of Atiku’s application for discovery.

Notably, the court had previously ruled on September 19, favoring Atiku’s request for discovery over Tinubu’s plea for privacy protection.

The case concerns Tinubu’s qualification for the 2023 presidential election, which he won.

In response to Tinubu’s privacy argument, Atiku’s lawyer, Angela Liu, emphasized that the Federal Educational Records and Privacy Act (FERPA) and similar state laws do not establish an independent privilege for educational records. She argued that FERPA cannot be utilized as a shield against a court-issued subpoena, stating, “FERPA does not provide a privilege that prevents the disclosure of student records.”

Furthermore, Atiku contended that Tinubu had already placed his educational records at issue by submitting them to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and during legal proceedings in Nigeria. Atiku justified the need for Tinubu’s academic records to be released, citing a mechanism in the Supreme Court of Nigeria for admitting fresh evidence.

Atiku concluded by urging the court to overrule Tinubu’s objections and requested a deadline for the production of documents and depositions to ensure timely submission to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.