Can Release of Tinubu’s Academic Records by CSU Affect Supreme Court Verdict? Senior Lawyers Speak

• Some Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) have spoken up about the usefulness of the release of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records to Atiku Abubakar at the Supreme Court
• The senior lawyers said there was nothing Atiku and his legal team could do with Tinubu's academic record
• They said the CSU documents may add no value to Atiku’s case at the Supreme Court because Tinubu's certificate was not an issue at the tribunal

Reactions have continued to trail the release of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic records by Chicago State University to Atiku Abubakar.

The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) presidential candidate had requested Tinubu’s academic record as evidence for an alleged forgery against the president.

Why Atiku cannot do anything with Tinubu's academic record

Speaking on how it will affect Atiku’s appeal at the Supreme Court, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adegoke Rasheed, said it was a waste of time and resources for Atiku, The Punch reported.

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Tinubu’s Certificate: “No issue for Supreme Court to address”, top political analyst shares

Adegoke said Atiku and his team, in their petition, did not plead anything on alleged forgery.

He added that the former vice president could not file a fresh allegation after Tinubu had filed his defence.

“It is just a sheer waste of time, energy and resources.

“In election petitions, you do not plead piecemeal. It requires you to frontload every allegation that you have. If they said he was not qualified, they were required in law immediately after making those allegations to provide the basis and the grounds for the non-qualification as required by the constitution."

Another senior lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe, said the CSU documents are more of politics than adding value to Atiku’s case at the apex court.

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"We don’t have copy of certificate Tinubu submitted to INEC": Chicago University shares more details

Adedipe said that Tinubu’s education qualification vis-a-vis his certificate was not an issue at the tribunal.

“If you ask me, I don’t know the utilitarian value of the documents. I am not involved in the case but from what I have heard; Tinubu’s education qualification vis-a-vis his certificate was not an issue at the tribunal.”

Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, said it would be difficult for the PDP and Atiku to file new evidence in an appeal case.

“There are factors, there are guidelines in which fresh evidence can be revealed on appeal; it must be evidence that is not available at the time you pursued the case in the lower court. Maybe something that came about ex-improvise, after the proceedings. So, you don’t admit fresh evidence on appeal. And from what I’ve read, I don’t think the documents can be of any help to them.”

Tinubu’s certificate: 3 crucial issues that dashed Atiku’s hope

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Chicago State University saga: Atiku set to submit documents in Supreme Court as PDP reacts

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Wahab Shittu, said Atiku’s hope had been dashed following the release of President Tinubu’s academic records by CSU.

He listed the three crucial issues in Atiku’s case against President Tinubu.

Source: Legit.ng