The Kebbi State Government has faulted former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, over his decision to join the 2027 governorship race, accusing him of distorting facts about the state’s condition and shifting responsibility for past governance failures.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Nasir Idris, Yahaya Sarki, the government said Malami’s entry into the race “ought not, in ordinary circumstances, to provoke any reaction,” but insisted that his claims could not be ignored.
“To start with, it is his inalienable right to contest for office and, for the record, we even welcome his ambition—if only for its nuisance value,” the statement said, while faulting what it described as “a litany of falsehoods” used to justify his ambition.
The government said it was responding to Malami’s recent comments in which he cited insecurity, poverty, poor education and economic hardship as reasons for joining the race, noting that he “conveniently forgot… that people like him, who held sway in Abuja until three years ago, bear direct responsibility for many of the problems afflicting not just Kebbi State, but Nigeria at large.”
It accused the former minister of contributing to national challenges during his time in office, alleging that “individuals like him were far more interested in what they could extract from the system than in what they could contribute to improve it.”
According to the statement, “the insecurity, poverty, educational collapse and economic hardship” referenced by Malami “became deeply entrenched and widespread largely as a result of mismanagement and misguided priorities.”
The government further alleged that during his years in power, Malami and his associates “ruthlessly exploited the trust reposed in them… and transformed themselves from near penury into overnight multibillionaires.”
It added that by the time they left office, “Nigeria as a whole was grappling with some of its worst humanitarian and governance crises—fuelled by squandered opportunities, policy summersaults, large-scale looting, and self-serving conduct.”
Responding directly to Malami’s claims on education, poverty and insecurity, the statement said the indicators he cited “were precisely the indicators that had reached alarming levels by the time power changed hands in 2023,” insisting that failure to act earlier worsened the situation.
It also criticised his promise to declare a state of emergency on governance if elected, describing it as contradictory. “How can one of the principal architects of our current misfortune credibly present himself as the man to fix it?” the government asked.
Defending its record under Governor Nasir Idris, the state government said it has embarked on wide-ranging interventions across key sectors, especially education, health, roads, agriculture and security.
It said thousands of classrooms have been constructed, new schools built, and teaching materials supplied, while “2,000 new teachers were recruited in a single exercise” alongside capacity-building programmes for staff.
In the health sector, the government said all 31 general hospitals are undergoing rehabilitation, with several at advanced stages of completion, while 21 primary healthcare centres are also being upgraded.
It added that modern medical equipment is being deployed across facilities, citing Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital in Birnin Kebbi as an example of ongoing transformation.
The statement also claimed that the state had addressed disparities in medical personnel remuneration, which previously led to an exodus of doctors, adding that “most of those who left have returned with more medical personnel now willing to serve in the state.”
On security, the government accused Malami of failing to speak out during his tenure as Attorney-General, alleging that “criminality flourished, banditry and terrorism metastasised” while he held office.
It maintained that the current administration inherited a “battered system” and accused past leaders of mismanaging public resources, stating that “a system cannot function effectively when resources intended for all are brazenly stolen.”
The statement concluded that individuals linked to past governance failures “should, in saner climes, be in jail” rather than seeking elective office, insisting that Kebbi State is currently focused on reforms under Governor Idris.
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