N423bn Probe: El-Rufai alleges bias, asks CJ to transfer case to another judge

Former Governor Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State has lodged a petition with the Chief Judge of the Abuja Federal High Court, accusing Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, who is presiding over his case against the Kaduna State House of Assembly at the Federal High Court in Kaduna, of bias.

In the petition filed by his counsel, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, SAN, El-Rufa’i alleges unfair treatment, injustice, and denial of a fair hearing.

In his petition to the Chief Judge of the Abuja Federal High Court through his counsel, the former governor prayed that the matter be transferred to another judge in the interest of justice.

The petition read: “The Applicant herein filed this captioned suit to enforce his Fundamental Human Rights to fair hearing against the Respondents on the 26th day of June 2024 at the Federal High Court, Kaduna Division. Upon filing the same, the matter was assigned to Honourable Justice R.M. Aikawa, who fixed the same for hearing on the 8th day of July 2024.”

“When this matter was called on July 8, 2024, S.S. Umoru, Esq appeared for the Applicant while Sani Katu, SAN appeared for the 1 Respondent. Sule Shuaibu, SAN, the Honourable Attorney-General of Kaduna State, appeared in person for the 2nd Respondent. While our Umoru, Esq. informed the court that they had been served with the processes from the 2nd Respondent and were still within time to respond to the same, the Learned Silk for the 1st Respondent informed the Court that they had not filed any processes and that they were out of time to do so by one day.