All eyes are on the Kaduna State High Court as former governor Nasir El-Rufai arrives for the resumption of his alleged corruption trial instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
El-Rufai arrived at the court at about 11:59 a.m. on Tuesday, accompanied by the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate, Isah Ashiru, amid tight security.
His appearance follows an order by the presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo, directing the ICPC to produce him in court for the resumed proceedings.
The case was adjourned on Monday after El-Rufai failed to appear, following information that he had requested to consult his personal medical doctor to review his medical test results.
At Monday’s sitting, ICPC lead counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe, told the court that the prosecution had expected the former governor to be present despite a request by lead defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, for an adjournment to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly conferred Senior Advocates at the Supreme Court.
Adedipe said he had communicated with the defence team on the scheduling of the proceedings and agreed to an adjournment until Monday, while proposing that the trial continue on Tuesday.
The resumed hearing is expected to advance the substantive case, which involves allegations of corruption and other financial offences linked to transactions and decisions during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.
The proceedings come days after the Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed El-Rufai’s appeal challenging the state high court’s refusal to grant him bail.
In a judgment delivered on October 9, a three-member panel unanimously held that the former governor had failed to establish fresh facts or special circumstances warranting the appellate court’s intervention.
The lead judgment, delivered by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi, affirmed the Kaduna State High Court’s June 10 decision refusing El-Rufai’s second bail application.
The appellate court also struck out a reply brief filed by the former governor on September 29, ruling that it was incompetent.
During the appeal, Erokoro argued that the offences alleged against his client were bailable and did not attract the death penalty. He maintained that continued detention was affecting El-Rufai’s ability to prepare adequately for his defence.
The defence further argued that detention was restricting access to lawyers and witnesses and could undermine confidential communication between the former governor and his legal team.
The ICPC opposed the appeal, insisting that the trial court had properly exercised its discretion and that El-Rufai had failed to present sufficient grounds for overturning the bail decision.
The Court of Appeal ultimately dismissed the appeal for lacking merit.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, as the case continues amid successive adjournments and legal challenges.
Tuesday’s proceedings are expected to determine the next stage of the trial as the court continues hearing the allegations against the former governor.
