Metro

Chicago State University confirms President Tinubu’s records as student

Published

2 weeks ago

September 15, 2023

The Chicago State University (CSU), has confirmed that Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu indeed attended and graduated from the university in 1979.

With the confirmation, institution has put to rest speculations that Tinubu did not attend the school nor graduate from there.

The clarification became necessary following The clarification from the CSU is coming following disputes over the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria which was won by Tinubu which led to a petition from the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP), Atiku Abubakar, questioning the authenticity of Tinubu’s educational qualifications.

In the petition seeking a nullification of Tinubu’s victory at the polls, Atiku had claimed that documents showing that the President graduated from the Chicago State University in 1979 were not authentic.

According to Atiku, the photocopy of Tinubu’s certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and purportedly issued and signed by the University President, Elnora Daniel, in 1979, was fake as Daniel didn’t arrive at CSU until 1998 and left about ten years later.

At a hearing in Chicago early this week, Atiku had, through his lawyers, asked Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to compel CSU officials to hand over Tinubu’s academic documents and to compel him to appear for depositions, a request the judge did not rule on.

But in a statement released on Friday clarifying its position on the controversies surrounding the President’s educational status, the University said it can confirm Tinubu graduated from the institution but could not however, authenticate the diploma because, according to the statement, it was just a ceremonial document that is not part of a student’s official academic file.

The statement issued by a spokeswoman for the institution reads:

“As an educational institution, we are sometimes asked to provide information related to student records. Federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release.

“In August 2023, a request was made in U.S. federal court for the university to provide information related to educational records concerning Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, and a former CSU student.

“The university has confirmed Tinubu attended CSU and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree. Federal law, however, prevents us from providing any further information without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.”

“CSU is confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate. The university is not a party to the Nigerian legal proceedings that spurred this request, and a U.S. federal judge will determine whether the university will provide further requested information.

“Our response to the request for Tinubu’s academic records has been entirely consistent with our practices, policies and federal law. We would respond in exactly the same manner for any request for any student information by a third party,” the statement added.

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Metro

Hearing in lawsuit challenging Uganda’s anti-gay law begins

Published

4 hours ago

October 2, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Hearing in petitions filed before Uganda’s Constitutional Court challenging the recently passed anti-gay law in the country commenced on Monday, with the petitioners labelling the law as “draconian, inhumane, and a grave violation of universal human rights.”

The petitioners, comprising individuals and human rights organizations, are contending that the law was passed without meaningful public participation, and infringed upon constitutional rights and freedoms.

They argue that the legal and parliamentary affairs committee conducted inadequate scrutiny and failed to facilitate sufficient public inputs, asserting that the law violates constitutional rights, including the right to equality, non-discrimination, dignity, privacy, health, freedom of expression, and association.

The petitioners also describe the law as a tragic violation of universal human rights.

One of the lawyers for the petitioners, who spoke on the lawsuit, said:

“Our prayer is that this petition is heard and disposed of as quickly as possible because there are people whose lives are in danger. There are people whose very life depends on the outcome of this petition.”

The Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), which was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in May, is seen as one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws, with punishment up to the death penalty for some same-sex acts.

The law also imposes severe penalties for “aggravated homosexuality,” which can involve sexual acts with children or vulnerable individuals. It also applies to cases of forced same-sex relations, life-long infections like HIV, or repeated offences.

Since the law was passed, not less than six people have been charged under the law, with rights groups saying the suspects have been subjected to torture, beaten and arrested, while LGBTQ people have faced eviction and intimidation because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

In August, a 20-year-old man became the first person to be prosecuted for aggravated homosexuality and currently risks a death penalty.

Metro

Nigeria: Anticipation grows as CSU set to release Tinubu’s academic records to Atiku

Published

13 hours ago

October 2, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

The controversy surrounding the academic records of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu may finally be put to rest after a United States district court ordered the Chicago State University (CSU) to release the records to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, by Tuesday.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the disputed Nigerian election of February 25, had filed a motion last week seeking the release of Tinubu’s records in the institution to him to aid his appeal of Tinubu’s election victory at the Nigerian Supreme Court.

The PDP candidate had requested the documents for use in Nigerian courts to support his argument that Tinubu forged a certificate he claimed to have obtained from CSU in 1979 and submitted to Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for the 2023 presidential election.

But Tinubu, in a counter motion, had urged the court to refrain from releasing his academic records to Atiku as that would mean a breach of his fundamental human rights.

But in a ruling on Saturday, the presiding judge of the Northern District of Illinois, Nancy Maldonado dismissed Tinubu’s objection, issuing a two-day ultimatum to CSU to release the documents to Atiku, which will elapse on Tuesday.

According to the judge, CSU must complete all necessary filings regarding the release by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Maldonado also upheld the ruling of the Unites States Magistrate Judge, Jeffery Gilbert, who had ordered CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records as requested by Atiku, stressing that Atiku had the right to have access to the records.

“For the reasons stated in the Court’s accompanying Memorandum Opinion and Order, the Court overrules President Tinubu’s objections (44) and adopts Judge Gilbert’s recommended decision (40) in full,” Maldonado ruled.

“The Court therefore grants Mr. Abubakar’s application under 28 U.S.C. § 1782. [1],” Justice Maldonado added.

Reading her ruling further, she said:

“Respondent CSU is directed 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 by the District Court in its opinion) in Mr. Abubakar’s subpoena, by 12:00 p.m. (noon) CDT, on Monday, October 2, 2023.

“The Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.”