PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: Erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has entered the fray in the ongoing dramatic tussle over the controversial academic records of Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu at the Chicago State University (CSU). These records, seemingly shrouded in mystery, have embroiled the President in a louche legal hassle with his major contender and chief rival in the 2023 presidential poll, former Vice President Alh. Atiku Abubakar.
In a recent development, a Magistrate Court in the United States ordered Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records within 48 hours, with immediate effect upon release. However, in a swift appeal lodged shortly after the order, Tinubu pleaded with the Judge to protect him from “severe and irreparable damage” by placing an emergency hold on the court order instructing the release of his academic records. This situation has thrust Tinubu’s academic credentials into a swirling controversy.
In a statement provided to the media, Chief Eze pointed out that Tinubu had relied on the protective cloak of privacy rights, which extends to academic records, to thwart any investigation into his alleged claim of graduating from CSU, the institution from which a certificate he submitted on oath to INEC originated. However, the court ruled that Atiku Abubakar’s interest in obtaining Tinubu’s records from CSU outweighs his privacy rights because, by submitting his diploma to INEC, Tinubu has made his certificate a matter of public concern, opening it to scrutiny and verification.
Despite being a member of the ruling APC, Chief Eze commended Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, for fighting a just cause. Eze argued that Atiku’s persistence has brought to light the deficiencies in Nigeria’s electoral laws and institutions concerning the verification of documents presented by candidates for public office. He added that some public office holders falsely claim academic credentials they do not possess.
Chief Eze questioned why Tinubu would go to great lengths and expend considerable effort to hinder efforts to reveal his CSU academic records to an interested party like Atiku Abubakar, who has a pending appeal challenging his declaration as the winner of the 2023 presidential poll by the electoral umpire.
Expressing confidence in the U.S. courts’ commitment to justice, Eze condemned Tinubu’s efforts to use delay tactics common in Nigerian jurisprudence to deny justice to deserving parties. He asserted that regardless of such schemes, justice will ultimately prevail, benefiting the Nigerian people in the long run.
Eze concluded by stating that if President Tinubu indeed has nothing to hide regarding his CSU academic records, he should waive his privacy rights, setting an example of transparency for the public. Concealing these records, Eze argued, damages the President’s administration with allegations of fraud and tarnishes Nigeria’s democracy and governance system, making it a matter of national reputation and concern. “It’s now about our country’s reputation,” Eze emphasized.
