Carefully in its bid not to encroach on fundamental personal rights, a United States District Court in the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago has reluctantly ordered the Chicago State University to produce President Bola Tinubu‘s “only relevant, non-privileged documents” from his academic records to Peoples Democratic Party veteran presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
In her ruling on Tinubu’s emergency application in Case No. 23 CV 05099, Judge Nancy L. Maldonado, carefully and with specifics, directed CSU “to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to Requests for Production Nos. 1 through 4 (as narrowed by Judge Gilbert and adopted here) in Mr. Abubakar’s subpoena, by 12:00 p.m. (noon) CDT, on Monday, October 2, 2023.
The court also stated that Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023,” the court stated.
On September 23, Tinubu, in exercise of his lawful rights, appealed against the too liberal ruling of Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert, sitting at the United States’ District Court of Northern Illinois. That court ordered the Chicago State University (CSU) to release all relevant records pertaining to him to Atiku.
Tinubu had however pleaded with Judge Nancy Maldonado to block all other details, especially the gender and admission records, among others of the owner of the certificate.
In her delivered judgment on Sunday, Justice Maldonado said: “Given the October 5, 2023, filing deadline before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Court will not extend or modify these deadlines.”
