The legal representative acting on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in his efforts to clarify the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s educational qualifications, has expressed bewilderment at Tinubu’s strong opposition to a request seeking disclosure from Chicago State University.

Atiku’s lawyer, Liu Angela, according to reports, stated that she had sent an email to Tinubu’s legal team requesting their cooperation in querying Chicago State University about documents that are already publicly available and have been submitted in Nigerian court proceedings.

The email, dated August 3, 2023, is seeking information about whether the documents had been provided to other Nigerian litigants, as well as the university’s stance on the authenticity of the documents.

Angela emphasized that Tinubu should have been eager to clarify any inconsistencies in his academic achievements and facilitate the legal process.

She pointed out, “If there is an explanation for the discrepancies we have identified, we would think that Mr. Tinubu would be eager to provide it. If you would like to provide an explanation to us, we are happy to consider it. That might preclude the need for, or at least expedite the deposition.”

Atiku, through his lawyer, expressed a willingness to collaborate with Tinubu’s legal team to resolve the controversies surrounding the president’s credentials. However, Tinubu’s team has vehemently opposed any initiatives aimed at clarifying Tinubu’s education claims at Chicago State University.

Angela noted that Tinubu’s adamant refusal to grant access to his school records has raised suspicions and implied that he might be concealing something. She stated that Tinubu’s strong opposition to the discovery process is intensifying, rather than alleviating, their concerns.

The lawyer representing Atiku also expressed disappointment in how Tinubu is obstructing and delaying the judicial process. She revealed that Tinubu had been advised to join the case earlier, but he chose to wait until Atiku’s team had submitted an ‘Order Directing Discovery’ of his academic records in court before expressing an interest in joining the suit.

The discretion by the Tinubu’s team is further fueling optimism in the Atiku’s team that the academic records would support his case against Mr Tinubu at the presidential elections petitions tribunal to prove that President Tinubu may have falsified his credentials and should be disqualified.