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Chicago Academic Record: Atiku Plans Fresh Suit Against Tinubu

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The legal team of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is planning to file a motion to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s plea for Chicago State University not to release privileged documents in his academic records.

The Special Adviser to Atiku on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, told The Punch that the legal team had up to 48 hours to respond to the motion in the US court.

Atiku had earlier secured an order for CSU to make the president’s academic records available to his legal team.

A magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, had last week ordered Tinubu’s alma mater to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to the applicant within two days.

Atiku is currently challenging the victory of the former Lagos State governor at the 2023 presidential poll and his recent affirmation by an election petition court in Nigeria.

The documents sought by the PDP candidate, through his counsel, Angela Liu, include the record of admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards, and honors attained by the former governor of Lagos State at the university, among others.

But as the deadline given by Gilbert drew nearer on Thursday, Tinubu’s lawyers approached Maldonado, arguing that the earlier decision by Gilbert needed to be reviewed by a district judge.

The request for a review and delay of the order till Monday was eventually granted by the US district judge.

Tinubu’s application, filed by his lawyers, Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Charmichael, advanced two reasons.

First was that his academic records in issue are not useful in Nigerian courts as claimed by Atiku because the Nigerian election proceedings and the Nigerian courts have explicitly been unreceptive to the discovery.

The second reason given was that Atiku’s request is unduly intrusive because it allows Applicant (Atiku) to conduct a fishing expedition into intervenor’s private, confidential, and protected educational records.

When asked on Wednesday to confirm if Atiku has filed the suit as he earlier threatened in Monday, Shaibu reassured that the former vice president would submit the motion before midnight.

He said, “I am sure you have seen his application. We are working on our response. We have up till midnight today (Wednesday) to respond to them. And we will.”

On when they expect the court to rule over the matter, Shaibu stated that “It is after we have responded to the court, that it will fix the date and inform the parties.”

When contacted for reaction, Coordinator of Tinubu Presidential Legal Team, Babatunde Ogala, who spoke via phone from his base in the United States told The Punch he would rather not speak on the development.

“As I told you earlier, I am still on vacation,” he said.

The Punch

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S’Court Dismisses Fubara’s Appeal Against Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly

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An appeal filed by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, challenging the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly has been dismissed by the Supreme Court in Abuja.

Fubara was also ordered to pay N2m to the Assembly and the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, by a five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji on Monday.

The case was dismissed after Fubara’s lawyer, Yusuf Ali, withdrew the suit.

Recall that on October 10, 2024, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, admonished Fubara for failing to follow the rule of law in his actions.

The court further held that Fubara’s actions violated Section 96 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires at least one-third of the Assembly members to form a quorum.

The court noted that “four out of 31 members cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, constitute the required quorum for legislative business.”

Meanwhile, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court also ruled against Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget before the four-member Assembly led by Edison Ehie.

The budget presentation was a result of the leadership crisis within the Rivers State House of Assembly. Fubara had argued that the Amaewhule-led faction lost its legitimacy after defecting from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

However, the lower courts ruled that he failed to provide evidence of their defection and, therefore, could not legally present the budget to a four-member House.

Following the Court of Appeal judgment, Fubara approached the Supreme Court to set aside the lower court’s ruling and allow him to present the budget to the Ehie-led faction.

However, when the case was called on Monday, Fubara’s counsel, Yusuf Ali, informed the Supreme Court that the governor had decided to withdraw the appeal.

Ali stated that a notice dated February 6 had already been filed, explaining that the appeal had been overtaken by events.

All 17 respondents in the case, represented by various lawyers, did not oppose the withdrawal. However, J.B. Daudu (SAN), representing the 3rd to 12th respondents (National Assembly and its leadership), and Wole Olanipekun (SAN), representing the 1st and 2nd respondents (Rivers State House of Assembly and Amaewhule), requested a cost of N2 million.

Daudu further urged the court to dismiss the appeal rather than strike it out, as issues had already been joined.

The five-member Supreme Court panel dismissed the appeal after confirming that the withdrawal was not opposed.

In a brief ruling, Justice Abba-Aji declared the appeal dismissed and awarded a cost of N2 million in favour of the 1st to 12th respondents.

The Punch

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Ex-Minister Turaki in Court over Adultery, False Marriage Allegations

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A former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), has been arraigned before a Magistrate Court at Zone 2 in Abuja on allegations bordering on false marriage, adultery, among others.

Turaki pleaded not guilty when the First Information Report (FIR) was read to him in the dock on Thursday before the presiding Magistrate of Court 9, Abubakar Jega.

He insisted that the alleged offences are not true.

According to the FIR, the former minister is accused of “deceitfully inducing belief of lawful marriage, adultery by a man and criminal intimidation, contrary to sections 383, 387 and 389 of the Penal Code.”

The prosecution stated that the investigation of the case followed a petition dated August 9, 2024, received by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force FCID, Abuja.

It further stated that the investigation revealed that “you Barrister Kabiru Taminu Turaki (SAN), between December 2014 and August 2016, deceitfully cohabited Ms. Hadiza Musa Bafta at a hotel called Han’s Place.

“You also co-habited her at Ideal Home Holiday, Asokoro between August 2016 and November 2021.

“You hired a place for her at No. 12 Clement Akpagbo Close, Gauzape from November 2021 and made her believe you were married to her and continuously had sexual intercourse with her, which resulted to a baby girl.

“You abandoned Hadiza Musa Baffa with her only child and denied the paternity. You threatened to use your influence and position to terminate the lives of mother and child.

“You are thereby suspected to have committed the above offences.”

Shortly after Turaki:s arraignment, the prosecuting lawyer , Chijioke Okorie urged the court to set a date for the commencement of trial.

Turaki’s lawyer, A. I. Mohammed, who did not object to the prosecution’s request for a date for trial, applied for bail for the defendant on the grounds that he would be available whenever he is required to attend court.

Magistrate Jega granted bail to Turaki at N1million with two sureties in like sum.

He said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must provide evidence of the residences.

The magistrate then adjourned to March 11 for the commencement of trial.

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Decomposing Body of Kidnapped Anambra Lawmaker Found on 2nd Niger Bridge

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The decomposing body of a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Justice Azuka, has been discovered on the 2nd Niger Bridge.

Azuka’s body was discovered by a combined team of security agencies.

The lawmaker representing Onitsha North Constituency 1 was kidnapped on December 24, 2024, along Ugwunabankpa Road, Inland Town, Onitsha.

After weeks of investigation, security operatives from Abuja apprehended the suspects late Wednesday. The arrested individuals later led authorities to the location where they had dumped the lawmaker’s remains.

Police authorities in Anambra State said details of the incident are sketchy.

However, the spokesman of the command, Tochukwu Ikenga, said police operatives have been deployed to the scene.

According to him, further details would be made known to the public in due time.

The incident marks the second kidnapping and murder of a sitting Anambra lawmaker in recent years.

In 2022, Okey Okoye, popularly known as “Okey Di Ok” from Aguata, was abducted and beheaded.

His body was later found around the Nnobi axis of the South-East state. The region has experienced a slew of violence in recent years. Gunmen have at various times attacked public facilities and killed scores of persons despite repeated assurances from government and security agencies.

The calls for secession have also reached new highs in the region in recent years. But no group has claimed responsibility for the wave of violence in the South-East.

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