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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has justified the stance of its presidential standard-bearer in the last general elections and sitting President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to shield his academic records and the university certificate obtained from Chicago State University (CSU) from the prying eyes of his main rival in the 2023 presidential elections, Atiku Abubakar.
Tinubu had last week, objected to the ruling of Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert ordering the immediate release of the academic records by the CSU.
According to President Tinubu, releasing the documents with deposition would cause him severe harm because they were private to him and would not be admissible in the ongoing petition against him in Nigeria.
But the United States District Court in Northern Illinois, ordered CSU to release the academic records of President Bola Tinubu to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The development came after a U.S Judge, Nancy Maldonado, adopted all the ruling of Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the U.S. District Court, ordering the immediate release of the academic records of Tinubu by the CSU.
Speaking on Arise TV monitored programme, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, said there was nothing abnormal in President Tinubu insistence to shield his Certificate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who is challenging the former’s eligibility for the election on the strength of an alleged forged certificate.
He said: “President Tinubu is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But more importantly, he is also a sitting president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Every right that I have that you have, this man who is our President also has those rights. And in particular in the United States, there is a statutory provision in law that protects the privacy of academic records of students who attend school. At the end of this show, it won’t surprise me to open my phone and see a record. Somebody completely transmogrifying the conversation we are having right now to suggest that I said something that I didn’t say.
“Imagine, if everyone under the face of the sun had the liberty to approach CSU or school attended by the President to obtain his documents and records at will. By the next day, his transcript could be all over the Internet with information that has nothing to do with the original documents that were obtained from the school. In any event, you don’t interrogate a citizen and ask him why are you protecting your fundamental human rights? He has a right to privacy as established under the laws of the United States. Don’t forget, some of the presidents in recent memory of the United States similarly resisted attempts by the opposition political party to unveil their academic records. You think they are doing that because they didn’t go to school? Or they forged certificates? No, they do that because you know, listen, why are you looking for my records? You are entitled to the information that I provide for you. If I decided that you need the information I will give it to you. Atiku Abubakar is not deserving of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s records. Himself, Atiku, I don’t know where he went to school. I don’t know if his transcript is also in public space. But I think that it is just wrong that, because this is the President, therefore he must unveil his records. “
Morka also claimed that the PDP candidate has no chance of winning his petition at the Supreme Court as he noted that the apex court will consider the merits of the appeal on the basis of the decision rendered by the Tribunal.
He said:”Look, there is nothing for the Supreme Court to consider. Whatever Atiku Abubakar may wish to present to Supreme Court, I wish him God’s speed because it is simply another exercise in futility. He is simply going to present nothing to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court wil consider the merits of the appeal on the basis of the decision rendered by the Tribunal in this matter. “That is, the court of appeal. The supreme court is a court of appeal. It is not court of first instance for trial. There is no way by legal facility that Atiku Abubakar will bring forward any documents from the US to the Supreme Court to litigate a case which a valid judgement had been given in which the supreme court is only called upon to look at the records of the tribunal whether or not that court errs in law on any aspect that it gives.
“This President was a student confirmed. And the issue of certificates was never discussed at the tribunal. I don’t see how that has become a relevant point to canvas before the Supreme Court. “
