El-Rufai seeks transfer of trial from presiding judge, Aikawa

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has approached the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, requesting the reassignment of his ongoing lawsuit from Justice R. M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court successful Kaduna.
In a petition dated April 9, 2026, El-Rufai called for the lawsuit to beryllium reassigned to different justice wrong the Kaduna division, expressing concerns implicit what helium described arsenic bias and questionable judicial conduct. He argued that allowing Justice Aikawa to proceed presiding implicit the substance would beryllium inconsistent with ineligible and ethical standards.

The erstwhile politician stated that respective petitions accusing the justice of bias are presently pending earlier the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the National Judicial Council (NJC).

According to him, the circumstances surrounding the lawsuit including its transportation to earlier proceedings involving the aforesaid parties and akin issues marque reassignment necessary. He besides pointed to what helium termed an “unavoidable cognition of bias”, stressing that specified a cognition unsocial could weaken assurance successful the judicial process.

El-Rufai warned that proceeding with the existent statement could harm th...