The United States Court has ordered Chicago State University (CSU) to release the academic records of President Bola Tinubu to Atiku Abubakar within two days.

Jeffrey Gilbert, a US Magistrate judge also ordered a deposition of designated CSU officials within two days after the records have been released, adding that the process can be conducted during the weekend if necessary.

Mr Gilbert on Tuesday ruled that, “For all of the reasons discussed above, Atiku Abubakar’s application pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782 for an order directing discovery from Chicago State University for use in a foreign proceeding [ECF No. 1] is granted.

“Respondent CSU shall produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to requests for production Nos. 1 through 4 (as narrowed by the court) in applicant subpoena within two days of the entry of this memorandum opinion and order.

“The deposition of respondent’s corporate designee shall proceed within two days of the production of documents. The parties can modify the dates set by the court by mutual agreement. Given the tight time frame under which the parties are operating, the deposition can, if necessary, occur on a non-weekday,” the court added

Tnubu’s lawyers however, argued that their client is not willing to lift his privacy privilege, with the ruling also conceding this by using the term ‘non-privileged documents’.

The court ruling comes few hours after, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar filed his appeal, prayed the apex court to set aside the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, which affirmed Tinubu as the winner of the February 25th election.

Atiku said Tinubu should not have been allowed to run for president because he had submitted a forged document under oath in violation of the Nigerian Constitution.

In section 137 (1)(j) of the Nigerian Constitution (amended in 2010) specifically stated that no one would be legitimately elected president of Nigeria if the person “has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.”