Featured

Tension As Chicago Varsity Set to Release Tinubu’s Academic Records

Published

2 years ago

October 2, 2023

Eric

There is palpable tension across the land as the United States District Court in Northern District of Illinois ruled in favour of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and ordered the Chicago State University to release President Bola Tinubu’s academic record by Monday (today).

But Tinubu’s lawyers insisted that the documents would not be relevant in Atiku’s appeal against Tinubu at the Supreme Court.

Atiku had earlier secured an order from a US magistrate for CSU to make Tinubu’s academic records available to his legal team.

The magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, had ordered Tinubu’s alma mater to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to Atiku’s legal team within two days.

The documents sought by the PDP candidate, through his counsel, Angela Liu, include Tinubu’s record of admission and acceptance at the Chicago State University, dates of attendance as well the degrees, awards, and honours obtained by Tinubu from the CSU.

But as the deadline given by the magistrate drew nearer, Tinubu’s lawyers approached the US high court, arguing that the earlier decision by the magistrate needed to be reviewed by a district judge.

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

Tinubu’s application, filed by his New York-based lawyer, Oluwole Afolabi, advanced two reasons.

First is 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.”

His second reason is that Atiku’s request “is unduly intrusive because it allows the applicant (Atiku) to conduct a fishing expedition into the intervenor’s private, confidential, and protected educational records.”

The former vice president in a fresh response filed last Wednesday, in Chicago, Illinois, charged the court to overrule Tinubu’s request in its entirety.

In a fresh judgment on Sunday, Maldonado noted that CSU did not object to Judge Jeffery Gilbert’s decision that the academic record be made public.

The court held that Atiku’s interest outweighs any intrusion on Tinubu’s privacy interests in his educational records.

The judge overruled Tinubu’s objections to the ruling by the magistrate ordering CSU to make his academic records available to Atiku.

Judge Gilbert also adopted the magistrate’s ruling in full.

The memorandum opinion and order read in part: “For the foregoing reasons, the court overrules President Tinubu’s objections to Magistrate Judge Gilbert’s recommended ruling, and therefore, adopts the ruling in full.

“Mr Atiku’s Application is, therefore, granted. In light of the pending Supreme Court of Nigeria deadline, represented to the court as October 5, 2023, and based on CSU’s representations that it is ready to comply with the discovery requests and produce a witness, the court sets an expedited schedule for completion of discovery.

“Respondent CSU is directed to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to Requests for Production Nos. The Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Given the October 5, 2023, filing deadline before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the court will not extend or modify these deadlines.

However, the judge stressed that his verdict “is expressing no view on the merits of Mr. Abubakar’s underlying claims regarding President Tinubu or his graduation from CSU, or on the validity of the Nigerian election. Nor is the court taking any position on what any of the documents or testimony from CSU may or may not ultimately show.”

“The court simply finds, on the narrow question before it, that Mr Atiku is entitled to the production of documents and testimony that he seeks from CSU,” he said.

Reacting to the verdict, a member of the PDP National Executive Council, National Deputy Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, described President Tinubu’s appeal as a needless route.

Osadolor, in an interview with The PUNCH, said “If he was convinced that has had nothing to hide, there was no need for those appeals against the courts.”

According to him, the US judgment will reinforce Atiku’s appeal before the Supreme Court.

“Tinubu is not who he claims to be and that is what our candidate and our party want to prove.”

Efforts made to reach the spokesman for the All Progressives Congress, Felix Morka, were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, one of the President’s attorneys, Oluwole Afolabi, has played down the importance of his academic documents, saying it will be of no use in Atiku’s Supreme Court appeal in Nigeria.

Reacting in a WhatsApp note published on Sunday by PM News, Afolabi stated that the Electoral Act does not allow for the introduction of new evidence on appeal.

“A party must provide a list of the documents he intends to rely on at the time his petition is filed. A party cannot spring a surprise on his adversary by introducing evidence that was not filed along with the petition,” Afolabi said.

The Punch

Featured

Trump Didn’t Lie, There’s Christian Genocide in Nigeria, PFN Insists

Published

22 minutes ago

November 14, 2025

Eric

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has insisted that there is Christian genocide ongoing in Nigeria, hence demanding end to the alleged Christian killings.

Speaking on Thursday after an emergency executive meeting of the Fellowship held at its national headquarters in Lagos, PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, said the body would no longer remain silent while Christians are “targeted, killed, raped, and displaced” across the country.

He said: “There is Christian genocide going on in Nigeria. If we call it by any other name, it will bring Nigeria down. We are crying out to our international friends, beginning with America and Donald Trump. Whatever you can do to help our government put an end to it, come quickly and get it done. When on Christmas Day, Christmas Day was turned a bloody day in Benue State, and hundreds were massacred. And we are to be conducting mass funerals when we are not in open conflict. What do you call that? And this is different from individual cases.

“Let us call a spade a spade. There is Christian genocide ongoing in Nigeria,”Bishop Oke declared.

“Even while we speak, killings are still taking place in Borno, Plateau, and Benue states. When 501 Christians were massacred in Dogon Noma in Plateau, what do we call that? When Christmas Day turned into a bloody day in Benue, with hundreds massacred, what name should we give it?

While noting that the United States President Donald Trump spoke the truth, the PRN President cited the case of Leah Sharibu who was abducted alongside other Chibok girls and has since remained in captivity.

“Like the case of Leah Sharibu. Where is Leah Sharibu? Like the case of Deborah that was lynched and burned alive in Sokoto? What about that? And several of our girls were kidnapped and forced, given out as wives by force without the consent of their parents and their Christian parents. And the Christian parents would not see them for years.And this has been going on. We have been talking and we are not taking it seriously. And it has been going on again and again, until Donald Trump now spoke. And Donald Trump spoke the truth. There is Christian genocide going on in Nigeria.

“Like you will have picked in the news, even since this narrative began, killing was still going on in Borno, in Plateau, in Benue, up until yesterday. What are we saying? When 501 Christians were massacred in Dogonaya in Plateau State, what do we call that? And for no offense other than they are Christians.”

Oke recalled that the Christian community had repeatedly called the attention of the government to the alleged genocide with no decisive action from the authority.

The cleric expressed his backing for President Trump’s intervention, adding that Trump only echoed what Nigerian Christians had been saying for year

“I was part of the team that went to see the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari. We spoke very strongly about this and the President listened to us, but he completely ignored the main issue we came for, If we came and spoke with such vehemence, with such passion, and then you pick the peripheral matter and left this matter alone, I knew that day that his government was complicit in what was going on,” he added.

Oke alleged that the killings across parts of Nigeria were systematic and targeted on Christians, lamenting that the killings had continued unchecked despite repeated appeals from the Church.

“The evidence is all over the place. There is nothing anybody can say that can whitewash it. It is evil, it is blood shedding, it is mass murder and it is genocide. The time to stop it is now. That is what the church in Nigeria is saying with one voice.

“Christians in this nation must be free to practice their faith in any part of Nigeria as bona fide citizens of Nigeria.

“These armed bandits, Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, ISWAP, all of them using Islam as a cover. We have been living in peace with our Muslim brothers for a long, until this violent Islamic sect came up with an intent to make sure they impose Sharia on all Nigerians,” Oke said.

Bishop Oke called on President Bola Tinubu to decisively overhaul the nation’s security architecture, and ensure justice for victims of religious violence. He questioned why those responsible for notorious attacks—such as the killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto and the abduction of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok schoolgirls—remain unpunished.

“The government should prove by action, not words, that it is not complicit,” he said. “When hundreds are buried in mass graves and the whole world sees it, who can deny it? Why should we play politics with the blood of Nigerians?”

The PFN urged President Tinubu’s administration to rebuild trust by ensuring that the security architecture of the country is not infiltrated by those sympathetic to extremist ideologies.

Oke further condemned the government’s rehabilitation of so-called “repentant terrorists,” describing the move as a grave security.

He assured Christians that the PFN would continue to speak out until the killings stop. “We are not going to keep quiet. We will keep raising our voices until justice is done and every Nigerian, regardless of faith, can live in peace. The truth may be suppressed for a time, but it cannot be buried forever,” he said.

The meeting, which drew PFN leaders from across the country, reaffirmed the body’s commitment to national unity, peace, and the protection of fundamental human rights, while urging the media to “side with the oppressed” and report the truth without fear or bias.

Featured

Yes! Magazine Publisher, Azuh Arinze, Conferred with Fellowship of NGE

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2025

Eric

The 21st All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC), held from November 11–14, 2025 at the magnificent Aso Villa and NAF Centre in Abuja, will be remembered for many reasons – its robust conversations, its galaxy of eminent speakers, and its firm focus on national cohesion.

But for Azuh Arinze, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine, it was the final day that proved most unforgettable, as he was formally conferred with the prestigious Fellowship of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) – an honour both well deserved and warmly applauded.

Themed “Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: The Role of Editors,” the conference assembled the highest echelon of Nigeria’s political, media, security and thought leaders. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who graced the occasion as Special Guest of Honour, delivered remarks underscoring the indispensable role of a free and responsible press in safeguarding national stability.

The keynote address by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State resonated deeply, as he spoke passionately about the responsibility of editors in shaping democratic narratives, holding public office accountable and bridging Nigeria’s complex socio-political divides.

Other distinguished contributors were Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation; Mr. Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate; Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State and ex-Minister of Transportation; and General Lucky Irabor (rtd.), former Chief of Defence Staff. Their perspectives enriched the conference with remarkable clarity and candour.

The event was jointly chaired by two towering figures – His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, and Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of ThisDay and Arise News Media Group. Both leaders commended the Guild for elevating excellence and reinforcing professional standards.

When the Fellowship announcement was made, the hall erupted in applause. With characteristic humility – yet visibly moved – Azuh Arinze stepped forward to receive the honour.

“This Fellowship means a lot to me,” he said, smiling broadly as he returned to his seat. “It is a beautiful reminder that dedication, consistency and integrity still count in our profession. I am grateful to the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and I dedicate this honour to every journalist who wakes up daily to tell the stories that matter.”

Azuh Arinze’s journalism journey has been one of passion, persistence and purpose.

He began his career in the bustling Lagos media landscape 30 years ago, cutting his teeth as an IT student at FAME Weekly, armed with curiosity and a hunger to learn. Over the years, he rose steadily and impressively, distinguishing himself through his flair for human-interest stories, compelling interviews and thorough investigative reporting.

He became widely celebrated during his inspiring years at National Encomium (later Encomium Weekly), where he served as Editor for eight uninterrupted years. His editorial brilliance also flourished at Reel Stars, where he also served as Editor, helping to redefine entertainment journalism with depth, credibility and flair.

Today, he is best known as the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine, a platform that continues to set standards in personality, lifestyle and development journalism. Through the magazine, his interviews with leading figures across politics, business, media and entertainment have become reference points for students, creators and seasoned professionals.

Beyond print, Azuh is an accomplished author of nine widely regarded books that explore success, leadership and the power of storytelling. As a media entrepreneur and mentor, he has played a pivotal role in nurturing young journalists and promoting ethical, impactful journalism.

His contributions to the media profession have earned him multiple honours over the decades, and his elevation as a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors stands as a crowning recognition.

He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration, a BSc in Public Administration and a HND in Mass Communication – and is currently back in school, pursuing further studies.

Featured

Senate Approves Tinubu’s N1.15tr Domestic Loan Request to Fund 2025 Budget Deficit

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2025

Eric

The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to cover the unfunded portion of the 2025 budget deficit.

The approval followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt during plenary on Wednesday.

The committee noted that the 2025 Appropriation Act provides for a total expenditure of N59.99 trillion, representing an increase of N5.25 trillion over the N54.74 trillion initially proposed by the Executive.

This expansion created a total budget deficit of N14.10 trillion. Of this, N12.95 trillion had already been approved for borrowing, leaving an unfunded deficit of approximately N1.15 trillion (N1,147,462,863,321).

In a related development, a motion by Senator Abdul Ningi was adopted, directing the Senate Committee on Appropriations to intensify its oversight to ensure that the borrowed funds are properly implemented in the 2025 fiscal year and used strictly for their intended purposes.

President Tinubu had on November 4th requested the approval of the National Assembly for a fresh ₦1.15 trillion borrowing from the domestic debt market to help finance the deficit in the 2025 budget.

The President’s request was conveyed in a letter. According to the letter, the proposed borrowing is intended to bridge the funding gap and ensure full implementation of government programs and projects under the 2025 fiscal plan.