A Circuit Court in Cook County, Illinois, United States of America, has dealt a blow to former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar by dismissing his lawsuit demanding access to President Bola Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University.
During the 2022 election campaign, Tinubu confidently claimed to hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with honors.
Despite Beverly Poindexter, the responsible authority at the Office of the Registrar, CSU, affirming Tinubu’s statement, doubts persisted among some individuals.
Recently, Atiku filed a suit seeking to subpoena the university. However, before the court hearing, the case was withdrawn.
According to the Circuit Court papers, dated July 31 and obtained by Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, Judge Patrick J. Heneghan dismissed the case without prejudice.
In his ruling, Judge Heneghan stated, “The petitioner’s subpoena in this case is withdrawn, and thus Chicago State University will not be deposed pursuant to the subpoena in this case.”
Justice Heneghan concluded that the case, with Atiku as the petitioner and CSU as the respondent, was dismissed without prejudice, resolving all matters before the court.
Meanwhile, prominent Chicago business litigation attorney, Mr. Victor Henderson, highlighted that citizens in the State of Illinois have long recognized Tinubu as a distinguished graduate of Chicago State University and a highly respected international figure in the US.
In a press statement dated August 2, 2023, Henderson remarked, “Despite Tinubu’s prominence, Atiku Abubakar and a few of his followers have attempted to illegally access the President’s confidential educational records by filing an improper lawsuit without basic due process or even the simple decency of asking the President himself to release his records.”
Henderson continued, “The goal of Abubakar and others, of course, is to stain the President’s character and reputation and to try to steal an election that they lost.”
“The good news for the President and his supporters is that the court dismissed the lawsuit that Abubakar improperly filed to get access to the President’s records,” he added.
He concluded by stating, “In addition, a leading Chicago State official recently confirmed, again, that the President is a long-time and distinguished alumnus of the university.”