Babatunji Wusu –
A plea for the prompt release of President Bola Tinubu’s private information compiled by American law enforcement officials was turned down by a district court in Washington, D.C.
Aaron Greenspan, a proponent of open government in the United States, filed a motion requesting that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and other U.S. agencies immediately turn up whatever information they had planned to make public by the end of October.
Greenspan submitted the emergency request after Tinubu hired attorneys to oppose the publication on the grounds that it would violate his constitutional and legal rights, including his right to privacy.
In order to prevent any influence the disclosures would have on the ongoing election dispute at the Nigerian Supreme Court, he claimed Tinubu was attempting to delay the release of the records.
However, in her decision on Monday, Judge Beryl Howell said there is no need for a hearing to decide the merits of the application and rejected the hearing to compel the immediate production of the papers.
According to Judge Howell’s ruling, Greenspan did not fully explain why he needed an urgent hearing on his application for the data to be released quickly, especially given the need to safeguard Tinubu’s interests.
According to her decision, the plaintiff has not indicated to the court that the scales of justice are tipping in his favor or that granting his petition would serve the public interest.
“The balance of equities militates strongly in favor of denying this emergency motion given that the FOIA request is for records that, if any exist, may be of a highly sensitive and private nature and that the subject of those documents, Bola A. Tinubu, has not had a chance to protect his privacy interests in any such records.
“The emergency motion for hearing by Plaintiff to force the production of documents immediately is rejected. There is no need for a hearing to decide the merits of this motion.
Additionally, the judge granted President Tinubu’s plea to allow his attorney, Christopher Carmichael, to participate in the proceedings.
She hasn’t made a decision yet, though, on the President’s move to take action.
Earlier, Matthew Graves, speaking on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, had stated that the government would not be taking a position on whether Tinubu should participate in the lawsuit or not.
“On behalf of the defendants, the undersigned counsel does not take a position as to whether the court should grant Bola Tinubu’s motion to intervene,” stated Graves.
