diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/_lib/pylibcudf/aggregation.pxd b/python/cudf/cudf/_lib/pylibcudf/aggregation.pxd
index 6e78cbbb6b1..1b7da5a5532 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/_lib/pylibcudf/aggregation.pxd
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/_lib/pylibcudf/aggregation.pxd
@@ -31,17 +31,11 @@ ctypedef groupby_scan_aggregation * gbsa_ptr
 ctypedef reduce_aggregation * ra_ptr
 ctypedef scan_aggregation * sa_ptr
 
-ctypedef fused agg_ptr:
-    gba_ptr
-    gbsa_ptr
-    ra_ptr
-    sa_ptr
-
 
 cdef class Aggregation:
     cdef unique_ptr[aggregation] c_obj
     cpdef kind(self)
-    cdef agg_ptr _raise_if_null(self, agg_ptr ptr, str alg)
+    cdef void _unsupported_agg_error(self, str alg)
     cdef unique_ptr[groupby_aggregation] clone_underlying_as_groupby(self) except *
     cdef unique_ptr[groupby_scan_aggregation] clone_underlying_as_groupby_scan(
         self
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/_lib/pylibcudf/aggregation.pyx b/python/cudf/cudf/_lib/pylibcudf/aggregation.pyx
index 551da4f240c..0020a0c681d 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/_lib/pylibcudf/aggregation.pyx
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/_lib/pylibcudf/aggregation.pyx
@@ -83,21 +83,19 @@ cdef class Aggregation:
         """Get the kind of the aggregation."""
         return dereference(self.c_obj).kind
 
-    cdef agg_ptr _raise_if_null(self, agg_ptr ptr, str alg):
-        # The functions calling this all use a dynamic cast between aggregation types,
+    cdef void _unsupported_agg_error(self, str alg):
+        # Te functions calling this all use a dynamic cast between aggregation types,
         # and the cast returning a null pointer is how we capture whether or not
         # libcudf supports a given aggregation for a particular algorithm.
-        if ptr is NULL:
-            agg_repr = str(self.kind()).split(".")[1].title()
-            raise TypeError(f"{agg_repr} aggregations are not supported by {alg}")
-        return ptr
+        agg_repr = str(self.kind()).split(".")[1].title()
+        raise TypeError(f"{agg_repr} aggregations are not supported by {alg}")
 
     cdef unique_ptr[groupby_aggregation] clone_underlying_as_groupby(self) except *:
         """Make a copy of the aggregation that can be used in a groupby."""
         cdef unique_ptr[aggregation] agg = dereference(self.c_obj).clone()
-        cdef groupby_aggregation *agg_cast = self._raise_if_null(
-            dynamic_cast[gba_ptr](agg.get()), "groupby"
-        )
+        cdef groupby_aggregation *agg_cast = dynamic_cast[gba_ptr](agg.get())
+        if agg_cast is NULL:
+            self._unsupported_agg_error("groupby")
         agg.release()
         return unique_ptr[groupby_aggregation](agg_cast)
 
@@ -106,19 +104,25 @@ cdef class Aggregation:
     ) except *:
         """Make a copy of the aggregation that can be used in a groupby scan."""
         cdef unique_ptr[aggregation] agg = dereference(self.c_obj).clone()
-        cdef groupby_scan_aggregation *agg_cast = self._raise_if_null(
-            dynamic_cast[gbsa_ptr](agg.get()), "groupby scan"
-        )
+        cdef groupby_scan_aggregation *agg_cast = dynamic_cast[gbsa_ptr](agg.get())
+        if agg_cast is NULL:
+            self._unsupported_agg_error("groupby_scan")
         agg.release()
         return unique_ptr[groupby_scan_aggregation](agg_cast)
 
     cdef const reduce_aggregation* view_underlying_as_reduce(self) except *:
         """View the underlying aggregation as a reduce_aggregation."""
-        return self._raise_if_null(dynamic_cast[ra_ptr](self.c_obj.get()), "reduce")
+        cdef reduce_aggregation *agg_cast = dynamic_cast[ra_ptr](self.c_obj.get())
+        if agg_cast is NULL:
+            self._unsupported_agg_error("reduce")
+        return agg_cast
 
     cdef const scan_aggregation* view_underlying_as_scan(self) except *:
         """View the underlying aggregation as a scan_aggregation."""
-        return self._raise_if_null(dynamic_cast[sa_ptr](self.c_obj.get()), "scan")
+        cdef scan_aggregation *agg_cast = dynamic_cast[sa_ptr](self.c_obj.get())
+        if agg_cast is NULL:
+            self._unsupported_agg_error("scan")
+        return agg_cast
 
     @staticmethod
     cdef Aggregation from_libcudf(unique_ptr[aggregation] agg):