Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kebbi State.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, Mr Malami said his decision to join the race was motivated by what he described as deepening insecurity, infrastructural collapse, and a steadily declining education sector under the current All Progressives Congress, APC, administration in the state.
He also accused the Federal Government of reversing the agricultural gains recorded during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Certainly, by the grace of God, I will contest for the governorship of Kebbi State in 2027, and I will win,” he said.
“We have our plans and we are reaching out to gain the support of the masses — and they are with us. Our biggest asset in this election is the people.
“We have promised to work with them to rescue the state together. I am confident the people are with us, but let us not speculate; election day will reveal the truth. No retreat, no surrender.”
Addressing speculations that he has hoarded public funds, Malami said only God knows the intention behind every action. He added that he would deploy every legitimate resource available to him to improve the lives of Kebbi residents.
On why he is contesting against the APC despite his previous contributions to the ruling party, Malami said the party had “abandoned” the people, especially in Northern Nigeria.
“Today, the APC government has neglected and abandoned our people. Our farmers have been chased away from their farms by bandits due to incompetence at both the state and federal levels,” he alleged.
He further lamented that many rice mills established under Buhari-era agricultural initiatives had shut down due to what he called poor policy decisions by the current government.
“Many of these mills have folded up, while companies abroad that shut down for years are returning.
“About 80 percent of such companies in Nigeria have closed because of the bad policies of the current government. They prefer to prioritise foreign rice companies over the ones we have here,” he added.
Mr Malami, now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, said his ultimate mission is to “rescue Kebbi State” using all legal and democratic means available.
