The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has issued an immediate stay order on the release of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Judge Nancy Maldonado made this decision following Tinubu’s plea, in which he expressed concerns about severe and irreparable consequences that could result from the release of his records. Tinubu, represented by his legal team, had requested that Judge Maldonado postpone the order issued by Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, a magistrate.
President Tinubu emphasized the need to prevent significant and irreparable harm to his reputation and interests, asserting that delaying the release of his academic records to Atiku was crucial to avoid potential damage.
In her ruling, Judge Maldonado acknowledged the gravity of the situation and granted a stay to allow for further arguments on the matter. She stressed the importance of handling the case with care and instructed Tinubu’s lawyers to submit a comprehensive brief on the issue by Monday.
Atiku’s legal team, in response, committed to providing their reply by 11:00 p.m. on the same day.
This development comes after Judge Jeffrey Gilbert had initially ordered Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s records to Atiku as part of an ongoing election petition process in Nigeria. Judge Gilbert justified this decision by citing Tinubu’s submission of a controversial certificate during his candidacy for the 2022 election, which he argued had weakened Tinubu’s privacy rights regarding his educational records. The judge deemed Atiku’s election petition and the use of these records as outweighing Tinubu’s privacy concerns, given the public scrutiny of his qualifications.
