The United States school at the centre of a political fight between President Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar says it has suffered bad publicity over the matter and stands ready to provide required records once it gets legal clarity.
Chicago State University said it has amassed huge legal fees in a case playing out in Nigeria and could not release Tinubu’s academic records earlier because of a US federal law.
“We don’t have a dog in this fight,” the school’s lawyer Michael Hayes said at a hearing on Thursday. He said the university has amassed significant legal fees and unwarranted bad public relations because of the political fight in a foreign land, according to CBS News.
Understanding the case
Abubakar, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Feb. 25 presidential election, says that documents Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, showing he graduated from Chicago State University in 1979, were not genuine. He wants Tinubu’s election nullified.
There have been questions about the authenticity of Tinubu’s personal records.
In his petition, the former vice president wants an example of Chicago State University’s diploma issued in 1979, Tinubu’s diploma issued in 1979, an example of a CSU diploma that “contains the same font, seal, signatures and wording” as Tinubu’s diploma issued in June 1979.
He wants also university documents certified and produced by Jamar Orr, an associate general counsel at CSU at the time, and is asking the school to explain a letter from university Registrar Caleb Westberg confirming Tinubu’s graduation.
“Veracity and integrity”
In a statement, the university said it could confirm Tinubu graduated from CSU, but could not authenticate the diploma he submitted because it is a “ceremonial document”, not part of a student’s official academic file.
The university said it has a few dozen pages of forms, including transcripts, details of transfer credits, and an admission letter.
“The university can confirm Tinubu attended CSU and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree. Federal law, however, prevents us from providing any further information without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order,” it said.
“We are confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate.”
Legal battle
Last week, the Court of Appeal dismissed Abubakar’s first challenge against Tinubu’s election. He has appealed to the Supreme Court and wants the new Chicago University documents to be part of evidence.
US Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert directed the university to release the documents by the end of Thursday, acknowledging a tight time frame considering the Supreme Court case in Nigeria.
Tinubu opposed the decision, saying Gilbert’s order needed to be reviewed by a district judge.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Maldonado granted the request, and in an emergency hearing Thursday, agreed to delay the order for CSU to release the documents.
The judge said she would rule as quickly as possible given the urgency of the case, but needs “to get this right”.
“I will have a busy weekend,” she said. “The issue is of process and rules. I’m a rule person; that’s why I’m a judge. This case is quite involved. I am aware of the stakes. It’s more important to me to get this right.”
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