President Bola Tinubu-led administration may come to an abrupt end tomorrow following the landmark ruling by Judge Nancy Maldonado, the presiding judge of Northern District court of Illinois in Chicago, which ordered Chicago State University—CSU, to release his academic records to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party—PDP.
Despite several attempts by Tinubu and his team of lawyers to sway the United States court with unnecessary objections, no nonsense Judge Nancy Maldonado, adopted all the ruling of Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert in the wee hours of today which had earlier ordered Chicago State University—CSU to release his academic records.
Judge Maldonado in what seems to be a brutal smackdown on Tinubu, gave Chicago State University—CSU until 12pm on Monday to release the documents and the deposition of officials of CSU completed by 5pm CDT on Tuesday.
She further warned Tinubu against further appeal as the Court would not entertain such.
This is coming after she said on Saturday that emails from Nigerians anticipating her decision on whether or not she will order Chicago State University—CSU to release Tinubu’s records was quite overwhelming.
NewsBand reports that President Bola Tinubu had pleaded with the US judge to save him from suffering severe and irreparable damage by placing an emergency hold on the ruling of Judge Jeffrey Gilbert who ordered for his Chicago State university records to be made available.
According to Tinubu, the damage he would suffer would be hard to mitigate if the September 6 judgement of judge Gilbert directing the release of his academic records to Atiku Abubakar is not delayed for possible vacation.
“Severe and irreparable harm will be done to Bola Tinubu if the records are released,” Mr Tinubu’s lawyer argued at an emergency appeal before Judge Nancy Maldonado of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.
“If the records are released, harm will be done and cannot be taken back to the bottle”.
Recall that Mr Abubakar have been seeking to obtain records of Mr Tinubu at Chicago State University, following widespread inconsistencies with the Nigerian president’s academic records already in the public domain.
Abubakar’s application was granted in a judgement issued by Mr Gilbert, who ordered the production of the documents as well as the deposition of the school’s administrators.
The former Vice President is plotting to use the records to demonstrate Mr Tinubu’s ineligibility for president, relying on the constitutional section that disqualifies a candidate who submitted a forged certificate to the electoral office INEC.
Though, CSU officials had insisted that Mr Tinubu attended the school, but they have also said they couldn’t authenticate his certificate under oath because they couldn’t tell where he found it.
However, the latest order by Judge Nancy Maldonado could possibly mark an end to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
From the constitutional and moral standpoint, if his Chicago State University—CSU records turns out to be forged, it is expected of him to resign immediately. Failure to do, the National Assembly will commence his impeachment process because he has committed an act of perjury.
Speaking on the ruling by Judge Nancy Maldonado, Osita Chidoka, a former minister of aviation, described it as a national shame.
He said a forged certificate finding leaves President Tinubu in a vulnerable position morally and legally.
While blaming the DSS and other agencies for not doing their job they were created for, Chidoka noted that the reputation of Nigeria is still in tatters because of the failure of national institutions to perform due diligence no matter who is involved.
He said, “If it turns out tomorrow that our President presented a forged certificate to INEC, Nigerians will bow down their heads globally in shame. On the other hand, if it turns out that his certificate is genuine, again our reputation as a people is still in tatters because of the failure of national institutions to perform due diligence no matter who is involved. On both counts it reinforces global perceptions and prejudice against Nigerians. We all bear the burden.
“A forged certificate finding leaves President Tinubu in a vulnerable position morally and legally. As he did not present primary and secondary certificates to INEC, a forged CSU certificate makes him unqualified to stand for the office of President as he does not possess the minimum qualification S.131(D) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. of course, the next issue is the case of perjury, the presentation of false documents under oath.
“How INEC, accepted a university degree without the qualifying certificates would continue to be a national mystery. A language in our electoral legislation to forestall such obvious infractions is required.
“The decision of the District Court and the whole proceedings is not a moment of triumphalism but a sober moment of introspection. It is a moment when as a nation we ask ourselves:
“What are our national values?
“Who or which institution should have ordered the full investigation of the questionable certificate?
“Considering that he did not present a primary or secondary certificate should our courts be concerned with the technicality of the tendering process of the CSU certificate or the disgrace and global moral damage a forged certificate would wrought on Nigeria?
“Why did our national security system not conduct a discrete investigation and advise the candidate and INEC about the status of his certificate?
“A few years ago The DSS, in an act of institutional independence and courage, wrote to the Senate to reject Police Commissioner Magu as EFCC Chairman not minding his nomination by a sitting President. This was based on their intelligence report of his nefarious conduct that pales into insignificance against a possible forgery case by a President. Why the silence now?
“For me, the issue is beyond legalism. If and that is a big if, the certificate is forged, President Tinubu should resign immediately. It is not a legal matter but a national honour and moral issue. If he does not, the National Assembly should do the needful to restore our dignity as a people. I also expect the Supreme Court to rise to the occasion and restore order to our electoral process.
“If the certificate is not forged, the President should conduct a wide-ranging reorganisation of our national security system for failure to save the country from this needless embarrassment and reputational damage.
“On either count, the National Assembly should start a constitutional amendment process to end all election judicial challenges before the assumption of office of all elected persons at all levels.
“A reform of the judiciary to introduce an automated case assignment system, the introduction of a transparent process for recruitment of judges, and the public display of evaluation of judges’ performance annually using the agreed framework to increase public oversight of judicial officers and improve the administration of justice. The growing unanimity in arriving at decisions in our courts is disturbing.
“The bold challenge of President Tinubu by HE Abubakar Atiku in the US is the most prominent sign of state failure. It is depressing but maybe it is an inflection point to alter the character of the Nigerian”
