Chicago, September 21, 2023 – In a recent twist to the ongoing legal battle involving former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigerian politician Bola Tinubu, Senior U.S. District Judge Nancy Maldonado has issued a temporary halt on the release of President Bola Tinubu’s university records. The decision comes after Tinubu’s legal team argued that the disclosure of these records could cause severe and irreparable damage to his life.
This development follows a previous order issued on September 6 by Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, which had directed the release of the university records in question. However, President Tinubu’s legal representatives fervently appealed to Judge Maldonado, emphasizing the potentially grave consequences this revelation could have on their client.
In response to these concerns, Judge Maldonado expressed her belief that the matter required careful consideration, stating, “This needs to be handled with care.”
Consequently, Judge Maldonado granted a stay on the release of the records to allow for further arguments and legal deliberation. She has given President Tinubu’s legal team until Monday to submit a comprehensive brief outlining their case. In response, Mr. Abubakar’s legal team has committed to providing a reply to the brief by 11:00 p.m. on the same day.
Judge Maldonado also indicated that she may ultimately choose to follow Magistrate Judge Gilbert’s recommendation and allow the discovery process to proceed, or she may request all parties involved to submit fresh briefs, underscoring the complexity and sensitivity of the matter at hand.
This delay adds another layer of intrigue to the ongoing legal saga between Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu, as the dispute over the release of these university records continues to unfold in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
