A strange drama is playing out in a faraway United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, courtroom where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently fighting ‘tooth and nail’ to ensure that his results from the Chicago State University (CSU) is not released to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Some observers think it’s ridiculous that instead of flaunting his Chicago varsity result, President Tinubu is blocking it from Nigerians in particular and the world at large.
The Northern District Illinois Court had ruled on Tuesday that it has jurisdiction in the case instituted by the PDP Presidential candidate, thereby setting the stage for the final judgment expected today, August 23.
Tinubu is resisting efforts to have his academic records at the Chicago State University released when it would have been expected that he would be proud to brandish his academic records to silence his opponents.
Interestingly, evidence already brought into the public domain by a Nigerian journalist and founder of West Africa Week journal, Mr. David Hundeyin, spells doom for the Jagaban.
One of the shocking revelations obtained from the documents is that the real Bola Tinubu may actually be a “SHE” and the male product that has comfortably presided over the affairs of Lagos State for decades.
Meanwhile, Tinubu may have another axe to grind with Nigerians as his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate bore the name “Bola Adekunle Tinubu”, instead of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It could be recalled that the Presidential Election Petitions Court had admitted certified copies of Tinubu’s academic and work records tendered by PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The PDP had brought the documents through their subpoenaed witness, Mike Enahoro Ebah Esq, who noted that the documents were “purportedly” obtained by Tinubu.
Now back to the matter in contention…
After and having won a presidential election as declared by the country’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1, 2023, it made no practical sense to any logical mind that Tinubu will be fighting frantically to not have the records released, albeit mysteriously.
At this point, however, whatever his reason is may have gone down the drain as the court has scaled the first legal hurdle on its path, ruling that it has jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Someone suggested that Atiku Abubakar may have seen what does not appear to the ordinary eyes as a former player in the All Progressives Congress (APC), prompting him to dive deeper into his unbridled quest to unmask Tinubu using the instrumentality of the US courts as he seems to have defied the fortresses of Nigerian courts.
So it was that the Northern District Illinois court expressed satisfaction with Abubakar, as an interested person, for meeting the legal conditions for jurisdiction and venue in requesting the Court to order the discovery of documents and testimony for use in a foreign proceeding.
The court agreed that the order for discovery he sought was for use in Abubakar v. INEC & ors pending in the Nigerian Court of Appeal while the respondent, CSU, is a public university established in Chicago and existing under the laws of Illinois, with principal campus and offices located within the Illinois district.
Atiku, it could be noted, requested for ‘any documents’ or ‘objects’. tangible or intangible, from which information may be derived belonging to Tinubu.
These will include assignments, periodicals, coursework, photographs, text messages, agreements, correspondence, electronic or other video recordings of any type, etc. and electronic data which must be produced with all their metadata and the name of the custodians.
Atiku also asked for all documents produced by CSU in response to any request (by subpoena or otherwise) by Mr. Tinubu or any other person for CSU records relating to Mr. Tinubu.
He even sought the certification they used on all documents and the process of the certification, the drafts of the certification and all communications to, from or within CSU on the certifications, and all documents sufficient to reflect the format, contents, and certifications of CSU diplomas issued by CSU for B.S. degrees from 1979, including documents sufficient to demonstrate any modifications to the format, contents, and certification of CSU diplomas from 1979 to the present.
He also demanded all documents certified by Jamar Orr, Esq. the Deputy General Counsel for CSU or by any other person employed by or acting on behalf of CSU, for use by Mr. Tinubu or any other person or entity in relation to the Nigerian proceedings; also, if Jamar Orr, Esq is still in service of CSU and if not the reasons for his disengagement.
If the court so rules, this means CSU will turn over to Atiku any and all paraphernalia still in the school’s custody in their original forms, including every document given to Enahoro Ebah and Tinubu, as well as the documents Wole Olanipekun tendered before PEPT.
By the way, “if CSU has tried to alter anything on their electronic records with respect to Tinubu, then, the metadata of the electronic files will expose them and the person in charge (custodian) will be called upon to explain,” Miss Pearls explained.
An observer noted that Atiku is either frantically trying to establish that:
- the certificate Tinubu submitted to INEC did not come out of CSU;
- that all the subsequent documents tendered by Olanipekun, SAN, on Tinubu’s behalf and referenced in his final address are fakes;
- that they either did not come out of CSU or were fraudulently procured and certified with connivance of dirty corrupt CSU officials without the proper certification process of the university; or,
- that CSU officials are downright corrupt and compromised.
The implication of either would be very grave and have devastating effect and may spell jail for any collaborator, local or international, not to mention the disastrous effect on the career of Olanipekun, SAN, who will be accused of tendering fake documents before the Tribunal.
“The real PEPT venue has been shifted to Chicago and it is there in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division that the epic battle of BATMAN’s disqualification will be fought and decided. We are all spectators in this matter. Let’s all grab our popcorns. August 23 is not far,” added Miss Pearls.
In the meantime, millions of Nigerians, Africans and global observers are watching with keen interest, keeping their eyes as much on the American judiciary and the Nigerian Judiciary.
Interesting times ahead!
