Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has petitioned Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, seeking the immediate reassignment of Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, from his ongoing criminal trial.
In a petition dated April 9, 2026, El-Rufai urged the CJN to transfer the case to another judge within the Kaduna division or take other administrative steps to protect the integrity of the proceedings and public confidence in the judiciary.
He described Justice Aikawa’s continued handling of the matter as “untenable in law, prudence, common sense and judicial ethics,” citing alleged bias, pending disciplinary complaints against the judge, and the judge’s refusal to recuse himself.
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 his co-defendant.
The charges border on alleged abuse of office, money laundering and fraud involving N579.6 million and $1.1 million.
A bail hearing in the case has been fixed for April 14.
El-Rufai’s petition, which serves as an update to an earlier one he filed in February 2025, lists several grounds for the judge’s removal.
These include multiple unresolved complaints alleging bias that are still pending before the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the National Judicial Council (NJC).
He noted that the current criminal charge and earlier proceedings involve the same litigant, the same judicial division and overlapping factual and political contexts, creating what he described as 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 argued that Justice Aikawa should have either declined the assignment from the outset or referred the matter to the Chief Judge for reassignment to another judge in the Kaduna division or another division of the Federal High Court.
He said the judge’s failure to do so necessitated the fresh intervention of the CJN.
In the petition, El-Rufai specifically urged the CJN to: direct the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the matter immediately from Justice Aikawa to another judge in the Kaduna division or elsewhere in the court; forward the update and details of Justice Aikawa’s conduct to the Preliminary Assessment Committee of the NJC for consideration; issue any further administrative directions necessary to safeguard the integrity of the proceedings and public confidence in the judiciary.
