Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has pulled back three applications in his corruption case after his newly appointed lawyer apologised to the court. During Wednesday's proceedings before Justice Darius Khobo, El-Rufai's counsel Paul Erokoro, SAN, sought permission to withdraw the earlier filings and revealed he'd submitted a replacement application instead.
Erokoro, who recently assumed control of the case, acknowledged that the previous applications were unnecessarily aggressive. "The pending applications were combative in nature," he told the court as he apologised for the tone of earlier filings.
The senior advocate explained that upon reviewing the defence team's prior submissions, he found parts of the language unacceptable and couldn't stand by them. He requested additional time from the bench to complete his fresh application.
Prosecution counsel Ibrahim Muktar wasted no time criticising the development outside the courtroom. He accused the defence of repeatedly submitting applications designed to stall proceedings and waste time.
According to Muktar, the defence had filed two additional motions asking Justice Khobo to step aside following the last adjournment. "Charge has been filed, prosecution is ready, defence is bringing multiple applications and that is what is destroying the time," Muktar told reporters, expressing frustration at what he saw as deliberate obstruction.
He insisted the prosecution was prepared to move forward with the trial. "We would have gone far if not because of these applications," the lawyer added, criticising what he described as delay tactics.
Justice Khobo granted the defence's request for extended time to file the new application. The matter returns to court on July 22, 2026.
