Comrade Timi Frank, a former APC deputy national publicity secretary, has pleaded with the US to pressure Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to hand over his academic transcripts from Chicago State University to a Nigerian court.
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Adding that it would also be in the spirit of reciprocity and information freedom available in the United States of America, he said that this would help ease tension and dispel worries.
He urged President Tinubu to assist in allowing his esteemed Chicago State University to divulge his academic records if he has nothing to hide in a statement he wrote to 460play on Wednesday.
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As a public servant, he claimed, Tinubu should not prevent a court from releasing his academic records, including his certificate, because the public has a right to know everything about their leaders.
Recall that Tinubu had filed a motion to prevent a United States Federal Court from providing former vice president Atiku Abubakar with access to his university academic records as the latter had asked.
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Frank bemoaned the US’s alleged use of double standards in disclosing Tinubu’s academic records, a matter that is extremely serious in the US but is treated lightly since it involves Nigeria, an African country.
“It is rather shocking that the President has countered the request by filing a counter motion to restrain the Court from releasing Tinubu’s academic records to the petitioner, barely two days after former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) approached the State District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to subpoena the records of Tinubu.
The idea that a sitting President who had sworn to uphold the integrity and sanctity of the Presidential office would try to restrain an independent judiciary of the United States through coercive acts or frivolous motions unknown to the Justice Department, he said, “seems to be more worrisome.”
Frank emphasized how the US has a strong judicial system, which supported the prosecution of former US President Donald Trump for alleged misbehavior while in office.
What was Tinubu at the University of Chicago hiding? He claimed that Tinubu shouldn’t have gone to a US court to prevent the release of his academic records. If you’re proud of your credentials, ask the university you say you attended to give Atiku’s request to reveal your academic records to Nigeria.
“This is simply the appropriate thing to do because a subpoena is intended to be followed wherever it is issued.
“For anyone who wants to lead Nigeria, you should be able to open yourself up for examination by Nigerians since it is the minimal standard expected, and I’m aware Alh. Atiku is not breaking the law in any unusual ways.