Angela M. Liu, a prominent United States attorney representing Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, has filed an application with the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The application, filed under Case No. 23-cv-5099, invokes Article 28 of the United States Constitution (1782), seeking a court order to facilitate the collection of records from Chicago State University pertaining to President Bola Tinubu.
Liu, a partner at the esteemed law firm Dechert LLP and the designated legal counsel for Atiku Abubakar, submitted a meticulously detailed application titled “DECLARATION OF ANGELA M. LIU IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1782 FOR AN ORDER TO TAKE DISCOVERY FROM CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY.” In her submission, Liu outlined the persistent efforts made by her firm, including the issuance of subpoenas, to acquire confirmation or denial of the existence of two distinct diploma certificates for Bola Tinubu, each with differing dates.
The 24-paragraph declaration, exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, sheds light on Angela Liu’s personal knowledge of the case’s facts and its legal implications. Liu asserted that she is prepared to provide competent testimony in court if required.
In the submitted documents, Liu’s legal argument highlights the pivotal role Atiku Abubakar plays in Nigerian politics. He notably served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. Atiku Abubakar secured the position of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate in both the 2019 and 2023 elections. The latter election saw Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerge as the victor while Atiku Abubakar stood as the runner-up. These election outcomes are currently under scrutiny in Nigerian courts.
Respondent Chicago State University (CSU), a publicly-established educational institution in Illinois with its primary campus and offices located in Chicago, is identified as the repository of potentially pertinent records. The legal proceedings in Nigerian courts, including cases initiated by various litigants against Mr. Tinubu, make these records relevant. Cases such as Enahoro-Ebah v. Tinubu, Abubakar et al. v. INEC, et al., and Peter Obi and Labour Party v. INEC, Tinubu et al., all hold bearing on the present application.
Exhibits included in Liu’s submission consist of a diploma purportedly issued to Bola Tinubu by CSU on June 22, 1979 (Exhibit C), and a document allegedly conveying a letter dated September 22, 2022, from CSU’s Registrar to Matthew J. Kowals, Esq. (Exhibit D).
The unfolding legal proceedings will illuminate the extent to which the sought-after records might impact the ongoing Nigerian court cases surrounding the contested presidential election results. As Angela Liu’s application progresses through the US legal system, its outcome may significantly contribute to the clarity and resolution of the matters at hand.
