US Court Refuses Outside Influence in Tinubu Certificate Case Amid Third-Party Emails

The United States District Court in the Northern District of Illinois has issued a notification stating that it will not entertain any third-party or ex parte submissions in the case brought forward by Nigerian former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, challenging President Bola Tinubu’s Chicago State University records.

The court has acknowledged the extensive email communications received from many third parties regarding this high-profile dispute. However, it has firmly stated that its review will be restricted to the parties’ briefing and the official records on the docket, refusing to consider external influences.

Recall that Atiku had filed a motion urging the U.S. Court to overrule Tinubu’s request to prevent Chicago State University from disclosing Tinubu’s academic records. Atiku had previously obtained an order from a U.S. magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, requiring CSU to provide Tinubu’s academic records to his legal team.

The documents sought by Atiku’s legal team include Tinubu’s record of admission, attendance dates, degrees, awards, and honors obtained from CSU. As the deadline approached, Tinubu’s lawyers appealed to a U.S. district judge for a review of the magistrate’s decision and a delay until Monday, which was granted.

Tinubu’s application, submitted by his New York-based lawyer, Oluwole Afolabi, argued that his academic records were not relevant in Nigerian courts and that Atiku’s request was excessively intrusive.

However, in a fresh response filed in Chicago, Atiku’s counsel, Angela Liu, called on the court to reject Tinubu’s objections entirely. She requested the production of documents by October 2, 2023, and the deposition scheduled no later than October 3. This timeline would allow for transcripts to be finalized and the discovery obtained to be sent to Nigeria by October 4. Atiku’s Nigerian counsel intends to submit any new evidence to the Supreme Court by October 5.

Liu clarified that Atiku’s request was not an attempt to conduct a fishing expedition into Tinubu’s private and confidential educational records, contrary to Tinubu’s claims. The case remains a focal point of public interest, with its fate ultimately in the hands of the U.S. legal system.