Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, requesting that his ongoing case be reassigned from Justice R. M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna.
In a petition dated April 9, 2026, El-Rufai urged that the matter be transferred to another judge within the Kaduna division, alleging bias and raising concerns about the judge’s conduct. He maintained that allowing Justice Aikawa to continue hearing the case would fall short of acceptable legal and ethical standards.
El-Rufai further stated that multiple petitions alleging bias against the judge are already pending before the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the National Judicial Council (NJC).
According to him, the circumstances of the case—including its links to earlier proceedings involving the same parties and related issues—make a reassignment necessary. He also cited what he described as an “inevitable perception of bias,” arguing that such concerns alone could undermine public confidence in the judicial process.
El-Rufai warned that continuing with the current arrangement could harm the credibility of the judiciary and may even affect the outcome of the trial at the appellate level, with significant personal implications.
He insisted that the case ought to have been assigned to a different judge from the beginning or reassigned once concerns were raised.
The former governor therefore called on the CJN to immediately transfer the case to another judge, either within or outside the Kaduna division. He also requested that the allegations concerning Justice Aikawa’s conduct be reviewed by the appropriate body within the NJC.
El-rufai
further appealed for administrative measures to safeguard the integrity of the proceedings and maintain public trust in the justice system.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the CJN or relevant judicial authorities regarding the petition.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
