Okafor said he remained resolute in defending his reputation and ensure justice.
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Chicago University: Tinubu urges US judge to release only his certificate to Atiku
Chicago university: Tinubu urges US judge to release only his certificate to Atiku
President Bola Tinubu has reluctantly allowed a federal judge in the United States to give his university certificate to his political opponent Atiku Abubakar.
But the Nigerian leader pleaded with Judge Nancy Maldonado to block all other details, especially the gender and admission records, among others, of the person who owns the certificate from being disclosed.
Mr Tinubu’s prayers on Monday morning came as part of the ongoing legal battle unfolding at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.
The case was brought by Mr Abubakar, who has been on a judicial quest to establish that Mr Tinubu was not eligible to be Nigerian president despite his election in February 2023.
He won the election by 36 per cent of the vote after Mr Abubakar and Peter Obi, who was his running mate in the 2019 election, fell out, subsequently dividing their potential votes into at least two parts, paving the way for Mr Tinubu’s victory with the slimmest margin in Nigerian presidential election history.
Mr Tinubu’s acceptance that his certificate could be released came after he narrowly escaped full disclosure on September 21 by pleading severe harm to his life in order to obtain a stay of a magistrate judge’s order on September 19.
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“There is harm in allowing discovery on issues and documents outside the diploma,” Mr Tinubu’s lawyers said in their full briefing to the court seeking a review of Judge Jeffrey Gilbert’s order by Ms Maldonado, a district judge.
The identity of who was admitted into Chicago State University in the 1970s has been a hot issue after college transcripts emerged that indicated the school admitted a female Bola Tinubu from Southwest College Chicago in 1977.
Whereas Mr Tinubu’s lawyers, led by Victor Henderson and Christopher Carmichael, insisted that the documents Mr Abubakar sought wouldn’t be admissible at the Supreme Court, they nonetheless appeared to anticipate the potential for an unfavourable ruling and consequently gave the judge an alternative direction of giving only an order for the school to certify strictly the certificate the president tendered to run for election.
Mr Gilbert’s ruling last week required CSU administrators to confirm under oath whether or not the certificate Mr Tinubu tendered in Nigeria was genuine. Additionally, the officials were mandated to show a certificate issued to a CSU graduate in 1979, with the person’s identification redacted, and to also turn over communications relating to a letter the school issued to Mr Tinubu in 2022.
Mr Tinubu feared that allowing the deposition of CSU officials to go forward could inflict severe, irreparable damage to his life, saying Mr Abubakar was only on a fishing expedition to fuel online conspiracy theories.
In today’s filing, a man, who identified himself as Olajide Adeniji, submitted an affidavit saying he attended school with Mr Tinubu from 1977 to 1979.
Chicago university: Tinubu urges US judge to release only his certificate to Atiku
(PeoplesGazette)
News
Rivers crisis may truncate Nigeria’s democracy, remember ‘Operation Wetie’ – Bode George warns
Rivers crisis may truncate Nigeria’s democracy, remember ‘Operation Wetie’ – Bode George warns
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, on Friday, has warned that the political crisis rocking Rivers State could consume the country.
He urged elders and stakeholders of the party to intervene in the crisis between members of the state House of Assembly loyal to the ex-governor Nyesome Wike and incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
He also urged President Bola Tinubu not to treat with levity the threat by some lawmakers in the state to impeach Governor Fubara, insisting that the state belongs to the PDP.
He advised that nobody should sit on the fence and pretend that things were fine in the state.
He quoted Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution, stating that a member of a House of Assembly would vacate his seat in the House if he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which he was elected.
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George maintained that all the PDP lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had automatically lost their seats.
“They are in no position to threaten Governor Fubara. So, their plot to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor is already in vain,” he said.
He also said, “Rivers people belong to PDP. Those threatening to impeach the governor are being remote-controlled by some forces. This must stop because if Rivers is set on fire today, that may end this democracy.
“We should remember ‘Operation Wetie’ which started in the defunct Western Region and eventually consumed the nation and ended the First Republic in 1966.
“All the actors in this crisis in Rivers should avoid actions likely to cause breach of peace and breakdown of law and order in our country.
“Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of our party should be the elders in the room, act swiftly and nip this crisis in the bud before it consumes everybody.
“All the gladiators should also think of the collective interests of Nigerians. Whether we are members of PDP, APC or other parties, we should stop issuing provocative statements to increase the tension in Rivers.
“Any move that can truncate this democracy must be stopped immediately. Enough is enough”.
Rivers crisis may truncate Nigeria’s democracy, remember ‘Operation Wetie’ – Bode George warns
News
NANS kicks against tuition fee introduction in federal varsities
NANS kicks against tuition fee introduction in federal varsities
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly opposed the recent proposal by Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFUND, to introduce tuition fees in federal universities.
Echono’s suggestion, made during an education sector conference in Abuja themed “Funding for Tertiary Education in Nigeria,” sparked widespread concern among student communities.
Pedro Obi, the President of NANS, issued a statement on Friday, condemning the proposal as a direct assault on the fundamental principle of accessible education for all Nigerians.
Obi emphasized that federal universities have historically served as pillars of hope for underprivileged students, offering them the opportunity to pursue higher education without financial constraints. Introducing tuition fees, he argued, would undermine this noble principle and create barriers that could prevent countless deserving students from accessing tertiary education.
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While acknowledging the need for sustainable funding in educational institutions, Obi asserted that burdening students and their families with tuition fees is not a viable solution. He urged the government to explore alternative funding mechanisms that would not compromise the accessibility and affordability of education.
NANS called on the federal government to reject the proposal and uphold its commitment to providing free and accessible education for all Nigerians. Obi urged stakeholders in the education sector to prioritize the welfare and future of students above all other considerations.
The statement reiterated that education is a fundamental right, not a privilege reserved for the affluent. NANS affirmed its unwavering commitment to defending this principle and ensuring equal access to quality education for every Nigerian.
NANS kicks against tuition fee introduction in federal varsities
News
Binance: Rep threatens legal action over $140m bribe allegation
Binance: Rep threatens legal action over $140m bribe allegation
A House of Representatives member. Dominic Okafor, has denied allegations of accepting a $140 million bribe from Binance, an online cryptocurrency trading platform.
Okafor, representing Aguata Federal Constituency of Anambra State, has threatened to sue Premium Times that reported the allegations.
He told journalists in Abuja of his intention to pursue legal action against the media outlet responsible for the report tarnishing his reputation.
This came after Okafor’s motion to investigate the escape of Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla from Nigerian security custody.
He asserted that the timing of the bribery allegations, shortly after moving the motion, suggested a deliberate attempt to smear his name and integrity.
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In response to the report, Okafor wrote a letter to Premium Times demanding the retraction of the report within 24 hours.
He copied the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Clerk, Inspector General of Police, EFCC, and DSS.
A Binance executive had earlier accused members of a federal government committee of corruption.
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