The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, on Friday, declared that Tinubu’s academic assertions were inconsistent, alleging that lawyers in the United States were plotting to conceal certain vital details.
The PUNCH reports that Atiku had earlier secured an order for the CSU to make the president’s academic records available to his legal team.
A magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, had ordered Tinubu’s alma mater to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to the applicant within two days.
Atiku is currently challenging the victory of the former Lagos State governor at the 2023 presidential poll and his recent affirmation by an election petition court in Nigeria.
The documents sought by the PDP candidate, through his counsel, Angela Liu, include the record of admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards, and honors attained by the former governor of Lagos State at the university, among others.
But as the deadline given by Gilbert drew nearer on Thursday, Tinubu’s lawyers approached Nancy Maldonado, arguing that the earlier decision by Gilbert needed to be reviewed by a district judge.
The former vice president in a fresh response filed on Wednesday, in Chicago, Illinois – US, charged the court to overrule Tinubu’s request in its entirety.
PDP said the application by the lawyers urging the US District Court of Illinois not to release the said academic details is a direct conflict with the public declarations by President Tinubu that his academic records are impeccable.
The opposition party described the plea by the lawyers that the details of his academic record should not be released as a great disservice to President Tinubu in particular and Nigeria in general.
The statement read in part “This desperation to conceal vital information is consistent with APC’s penchant for trickery and underhand dealings in their transactions with Nigerians which has heightened under the Abdullahi Ganduje leadership.
“Moreover, it is curious that the APC has remained silent on allegations and public apprehension of sabotage in the Monday, September 25, 2023 fire outbreak at the Supreme Court, which is suspected to have been an arsonist attack with the intent to cripple and frustrate the Supreme Court in the handling of the Presidential Election Appeals pending before it.
“The APC must in the least acknowledge the desirability and moral duty placed on it to encourage, insist, and ensure that it is transparent with Nigerians and indeed the world. Failure to discharge this duty to Nigerians is conceivable”.
Ologunagba described the APC as a major threat to the Nation’s democracy and charged Nigerians to stand firm in the defense of democracy, transparency, and the rule of law in Nigeria.
