Kaduna CJ Rejects El-Rufai’s Bid to Change Trial Judge, Orders Criminal Trial to Continue

The Chief Judge of Kaduna State, Justice Muhammad Tukur Aliyu, has rejected former Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s request to have his ongoing criminal trial transferred from Justice Darius Hyet Khobo to another judge. The decision clears the way for Justice Khobo to continue presiding over the case.

Justice Aliyu conveyed the decision in a letter dated August 19, 2026, following petitions submitted by El-Rufai and his legal team challenging the continued involvement of Justice Khobo in the proceedings. The Chief Judge said there was no sufficient basis for exercising his administrative powers to reassign the matter.

The Chief Judge explained that he had considered petitions dated June 30 and July 6, alongside Justice Khobo’s response of July 16. He subsequently invoked his powers under Section 111 of the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017, and constituted a three-member committee of legal practitioners to investigate the allegations.

According to Justice Aliyu, the committee submitted its report on August 18 and found no justification for transferring the case to another judge of the Kaduna State High Court. He consequently directed Justice Khobo to proceed with the hearing and determination of the case in accordance with the law and fairness.

El-Rufai had personally petitioned the Chief Judge on July 6, arguing that he had lost confidence in Justice Khobo’s ability to handle the proceedings impartially. His legal team had also filed an earlier petition on June 30, raising concerns about the judge’s conduct and asking that the case be reassigned.

A major part of El-Rufai’s complaint centred on Justice Khobo’s June 10 ruling in which the judge rejected his second application for bail. El-Rufai argued that some observations in the ruling suggested that the judge had formed conclusions about his character and conduct before the substantive criminal trial had been concluded.

The former governor also challenged references in the ruling concerning alleged threats against prosecutors and witnesses, as well as the judge’s assessment of the seriousness of the allegations against him. El-Rufai maintained that such observations amounted to prejudgment and raised concerns about his constitutional right to a fair hearing.

El-Rufai further alleged that Justice Khobo had attended social gatherings involving political and religious figures in Southern Kaduna and claimed that commitments were allegedly made at some of those meetings concerning his bail and eventual conviction. He characterised the alleged circumstances as evidence of possible political pressure on the judicial process. These allegations formed part of his petition but were not accepted by the committee as sufficient grounds for reassignment.

The criminal proceedings against El-Rufai arise from a nine-count amended charge filed in April 2026. The allegations include offences relating to obtaining benefits by false pretences, criminal breach of trust involving loan funds and alleged violations of Kaduna State’s public procurement law. El-Rufai has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

With the Chief Judge’s decision, the administrative request to remove Justice Khobo from the case has been rejected, leaving the judge in charge of the proceedings. The development means the former governor’s defence will now have to pursue any further challenge through the appropriate judicial channels while Justice Khobo continues with the trial.