By EMMANUEL OGEBE, Washington, DC

Lawyers for Chicago State University (CSU) have lamented that they are incurring legal fees and negative press in the emergency hearing by Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to block the court-ordered release of his school records.

In a telephonic trial attended by this reporter yesterday, Thursday, September 21, 2023, CSU counsel said they were ready to produce records in one hour in line with the Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert’s 48-hour deadline issued two days ago as they “do not have any dog in the fight.”

However the emergency hearing Judge Nancy Maldonado stayed the production of Tinubu’s records pending filing of full briefs in the matter by next week.

The judge who complained about being rushed to hear the case said she had 400 other cases to attend to.

It is sad that the abuse of court process in Nigeria has been exported to America. Ordinarily the stay motion should have been brought before the same judge but by mischievously bringing it before a judge unfamiliar with the matter, Tinubu managed to squeeze out an unnecessary delay in the matter.

As counsel for Abubakar Atiku rightly pointed out, Tinubu is actually blocking the release of records some of which are already public and he has even used. What Atiku is asking for is merely the authentication of what he submitted.

This is almost like the comedy we saw of INEC objecting to INEC documents in the election trial in Nigeria.

As retiring Justice of the Supreme Court Amina Augie said during her valedictory session today, they’re overworked and the legislature should work quickly to reduce the caseload of Nigerian judges if even the Chicago State University and the US District Judge are already complaining about the stress of Tinubu’s case after a few weeks.

•Emmanuel Ogebe is of the USNIGERIA LAW GROUP, Washington, DC.

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