El-Rufai Asks CJN to Remove Judge From Trial
Last update: April 13, 2026
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El-Rufai petitions CJN for reassignment of judge handling his criminal trial...
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, requesting the immediate reassignment of Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, from his ongoing criminal trial.
CBI News reports that in a petition dated April 9, 2026, El-Rufai asked the CJN to transfer the case to another judge within the Kaduna division or take necessary administrative steps to ensure the integrity of the proceedings and maintain public confidence in the judiciary.
He described Justice Aikawa’s continued handling of the case as “untenable in law, prudence, common sense and judicial ethics,” alleging bias, unresolved disciplinary complaints against the judge, and his refusal to step down from the matter.
Justice Aikawa is presiding over a 10-count charge filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against El-Rufai and a co-defendant.
The charges involve alleged abuse of office, money laundering, and fraud amounting to ₦579.6 million and $1.1 million.
A bail hearing in the case has been scheduled for April 14.
El-Rufai’s petition, which follows an earlier submission in February 2025, outlined multiple grounds for seeking the judge’s removal, including pending complaints alleging bias before the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the National Judicial Council (NJC).
He argued that the case shares similarities with previous proceedings involving the same parties, judicial division, and political context, creating what he termed an “objective appearance of bias.”
“Even if actual bias is denied, the appearance of bias is unavoidable, which the law treats as equally fatal,” the petition stated.
“Allowing Justice Aikawa to continue with this criminal trial risks undermining public confidence in the judiciary, compromises the integrity of the proceedings, and exposes the entire process to almost certain appellate reversal.”
El-Rufai maintained that the judge ought to have declined the case or referred it for reassignment at the outset, insisting that the failure to do so necessitated intervention by the CJN.
He therefore requested that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court be directed to reassign the case to another judge within or outside Kaduna.
He also urged that details of Justice Aikawa’s conduct be forwarded to the Preliminary Assessment Committee of the NJC for review, alongside any further measures needed to safeguard the credibility of the judicial process.
