El-Rufai Makes Major Move, Withdraws Three Applications In Corruption Case

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has withdrawn three applications previously filed before the Kaduna State High Court as part of his ongoing corruption case.

According to reports, El-Rufai’s newly appointed counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), informed the court that the defence team had decided to discontinue the applications after reviewing their contents and finding some of the language used inappropriate.

The development occurred during proceedings before Justice Darius Khobo on Wednesday, where Erokoro apologised to the court over the tone of the earlier filings, describing them as unnecessarily confrontational.

The senior advocate, who recently assumed responsibility for El-Rufai’s defence, requested the court’s approval to withdraw the three applications and disclosed that a fresh application had already been prepared.

Erokoro explained that after studying the pending motions, he discovered that some of the expressions used were too aggressive and could not be adopted by the new legal team. He described the previous filings as “combative in nature” and tendered an apology to the court.

The lawyer further requested additional time to finalise the new application and prepare adequately for its hearing.

Meanwhile, the prosecution raised concerns over the continued filing of applications by the defence team, alleging that the moves were delaying the commencement of the substantive trial.

Speaking after the court session, prosecution counsel Ibrahim Muktar claimed that the defence had submitted multiple applications, including fresh requests seeking the judge’s recusal, which he said had slowed down proceedings.

Muktar maintained that the prosecution was prepared to proceed with the case and accused the defence of employing tactics that were frustrating the trial process.

He said the case would have progressed significantly if not for the series of applications filed by the defence.

Justice Khobo subsequently granted the defence’s request for more time to complete the fresh application and adjourned the matter until July 22, 2026, for further hearing.