US Court has refused an urgent request for immediate release of confidential records put together by American law enforcement agencies on Tinubu
By Emma Ogbuehi
The President, Bola Tinubu, secured momentary reprieve on Monday when the United States (US) District Court of the District of Columbia refused a request for immediate release of confidential records put together by American law enforcement agencies on him.
One Aaron Greenspan had filed the emergency motion seeking to compel the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (“EOUSA”), the Department of State, FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the CIA to immediately release the documents following the Nigerian Supreme Court’s hearing of appeals from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi against Tinubu.
He pleaded for a quick release of the documents because they needed to be presented at the Supreme Court.
READ ALSO:
BREAKING: Supreme Court reserves judgment on Obi’s appeal against Tinubu
Greenspan told the court that the Supreme Court deliberately moved the hearing of the appeals by Atiku and Obi to October 23 to render his suit before the US court nugatory.
He had asked that the documents on Tinubu be released to him latest October 31.
Ruling on the appeal, Judge Beryl A. Howell declined Greenspan’s request on the grounds that he failed to satisfy the relevant conditions for the grant of such a prayer contained in a motion for emergency hearing, which he filed on Monday.
In the civil suit, with number: 23-1816, Greenspan is also asking for similar information and documents on Mueez Adegboyega Akande, who is said to have died as of November 16, 2022.
In rejecting his motion for immediate release of the documents, the US court said Greenspan failed to convince the court of the public issues it could cause it to overlook the privacy rights of President Tinubu.
“Plaintiff’s emergency motion for a hearing to compel immediate document production is denied,” Ms Howell of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington D.C. ruled on Monday night. “No hearing to determine the merits of this motion is necessary.”
Meanwhile, President Tinubu’s lawyers have filed a motion at the court seeking to be allowed to defend the President in the suit.
The Supreme Court on Monday, reserved judgment in the appeals filed by the presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, against the Presidential Election Petitions Panel’s judgment affirming Tinubu’s election.
The seven-man panel led by John Inyang Okoro after listening to the submissions of the parties involved in the matter said the judgment date would be communicated to them.
