September 22, (THEWILL) – Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Friday, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop embarrassing Nigerians by his desperate bid to frustrate the release of his academic records from the Chicago State University (CSU).
Frank, in a statement in Abuja, wondered what Tinubu has got to hide that prompted him to hurriedly appeal the judgement of a US Magistrate Court that ordered CSU to release his academic records.
THEWILL reports that President Tinubu, on Thursday, in an emergency motion brought before Judge Nancy Maldonado of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, filed an aplenty seeking to stop the execution of a magistrate order to the Chicago State University (CSU), to release his academic records to Atiku Abubakar.
Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, had on Tuesday, September 19, ordered the CSU to produce “all relevant and non-privileged documents” relating to President Tinubu’s academic records to Atiku within 48 hours.
However, President Tinubu, in motion brought before the court through his lawyer, Christopher W. Carmichael, on Thursday, argued that a magistrate should only report and recommend to the district judge.
He, therefore, prayed the court to delay the effect of the magistrate’s order to CSU to allow Atiku Abubakar’s access to his academic records until September 25, 2023, when his motion would be determined.
But Frank in a statement on Friday, alleged that President Tinubu pleaded before Judge Maldonado, that “Severe and irreparable harm will be done to Bola Tinubu if the records are released. If the records are released, harm will be done and cannot be taken back to the bottle.”
Faulting the President’s motion, Frank queried: “If you know you have clean academic records why are you fighting to stop their being released? What ‘severe and irreparable harm’ will you suffer if the records are released?”
Frank further alleged that due to Tinubu’s desperate acts in seeking to conceal his academic records and other legal issues surrounding his persona, most world leaders are now avoiding him, adding that this has hampered his administration’s much publicised investments drive abroad.
“For instance, his much trumpeted proposed meeting with American President, Joe Biden, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York was silently cancelled with no explanations from either Tinubu or Biden.
“However, we have it on good authority that Biden was warned by the US intelligence community to avoid such a meeting.
“Besides, Tinubu claimed to have gotten Untied Arab Emirates (Dubai) authorities to lift visa restrictions on Nigerians but this has since been proven to be a lie.”
Frank called on Nigerians to own the fight to ensure that President Tinubu has authentic academic records and not to leave the efforts to an individual due to potential political and diplomatic damage it can do to Nigeria if glossed over.
“This fight should not be for Atiku Abubakar alone. Nigerians must rise up and demand to know the academic records of their President. Tinubu’s desperate attempt to buy time with his recent appeal is a huge embarrassment to Nigerians both at home and in diaspora. Why does the court ordered release of Tinubu’s academic records appear like a matter of life and death to the President?
“Tinubu, please stop embarrassing Nigerians through this do or die attempt to stop your academic records from being released. Nigerians are eager to know who their President really is.
“The more you fight to conceal your academic records, the more you damage the image of the country and its ability to attract investors who want to do business with genuine and trustworthy partners and not those believed to have skeletons in their cupboards.
“Are Nigerians not entitled to know the authentic academic qualifications of their President?” he said.
He called on the United States’ Government and its institutions to transparently adjudicate on this matter in the interest of Nigeria and not that of one man.
“We demand the Chicago court to urgently hear this appeal and make its findings known without compromising the integrity of the American Court system”, he added.
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