The Chicago State University (CSU) has released the school documents of President Bola Tinubu to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku obtained victory at the court in his fierce legal battle to probe into the academic qualification of Tinubu in the February 25 presidential poll.
Tinubu had supplied certificates from the Chicago State University, CSU, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to secure eligibility to participate in the election.
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A United States of America court on Saturday ordered CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records for verification and in support of Atiku’s petition challenging the result of the 2023 presidential poll.
Justice Nancy Maldonado in a judgment dismissed the objection raised by Tinubu against Atiku’s request and expressly ordered that the CSU must submit the academic records to Atiku.
CSU releasing the records on the court’s order on Monday night said it has found several certificates after diligent search matching
the replacement certificate which President Tinubu presented to INEC in 2022.
The school said after diligent search of its archives, it has found at least three certificates matching the replacement certificate which President Bola Tinubu presented to INEC in 1992.
Atiku in his Request No. 3 wanted: “True and correct copies of any diplomas issued by CSU (other than to Mr. Tinubu) that contain the same font, seal, signatures, and wording (other than the name of the recipient and the specific degree awarded) as Contained in Exhibit C to the First Liu Declaration, which purports to be a CSU diploma issued to Mr. Tinubu on or about June 22, 1979”.
The school responded: “The documents responsive to this request which CSU, after
diligent search, has been able to locate are produced herewith and Bates labelled CSU 0008
through CSU 0010.
“The students’ names on these diplomas have been redacted for privacy
reasons.
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“CSU is also producing, Bates labelled as CSU 0011 and CSU 0012, diplomas prepared
for other CSU students (with their names redacted for privacy) which match the format of the Tinubu replacement diploma dated June 27, 1997.”
On Atiku’s request that the school should produce a copy of Tinubu’s certificate issued in 1979, the school maintained its position that it does not keep copies of students diplomas, talk less of the one issued in 1979.
“CSU does not in the ordinary course keep copies of student diplomas, and after diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr. Tinubu in 1979, hence has no documents responsive to this request”, deposed Michael D. Hayes, counsel to the school.
In going on a fishing expedition to Chicago’s Great Lakes, Atiku wanted to push the point that Tinubu did not attend the university and that he forged the certificate.
The search appears now to have collapsed.
Hayes also said as requested by Atiku, Jamar C Orr has certified all the documents.
Atiku’s request: “True and correct copies of any CSU documents relating to Mr. Tinubu that were certified by Jamar C. Orr, Esq., including without limitation, the documents in Exhibit D to the Uwais Declaration, and all Communications to or from CSU concerning the certification of such documents by Jamar C. Orr, Esq., during the period August 1, 2022 to August 1, 2023”.
Hayes: “The responsive documents certified by Mr. Orr are produced herewith and Bates labelled CSU 0013 through CSU 0032. CSU’s prior objection to the Communications aspect of this request was sustained by the Court (see Doc. 40 at pp. 28 -29 and Doc. 54 at p. 32), hence no documents responsive to that subject are being produced”.
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