2027: Kebbi fires back at Malami as governorship battle opens old wounds

The decision by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to enter the 2027 Kebbi governorship race has triggered a sharp political confrontation in the state, with the government of Nasir Idris accusing the former minister of attempting to rewrite history while distancing himself from the failures of the administration he once served.

What initially appeared to be a routine declaration of political ambition has quickly evolved into a wider debate over responsibility for insecurity, poverty and economic decline in Kebbi and across Nigeria.

In a strongly worded statement issued by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yahaya Sarki, the state government dismissed Malami’s criticism of conditions in Kebbi as both ironic and misleading.

The government said although Malami had the constitutional right to seek elective office, his attempt to present himself as a reformer raised serious questions given his prominent role in the immediate past federal administration.

“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 declared.

The response followed remarks by Malami in which he reportedly cited worsening insecurity, poverty, poor educational standards and economic hardship as reasons for seeking the governorship seat in 2027.

However, the Kebbi government argued that many of the problems highlighted by the former minister became deeply entrenched during the years he occupied one of the most powerful offices in the country.

According to the statement, figures who held key positions in Abuja during the previous administration “bear direct responsibility for many of the problems afflicting not just Kebbi State, but Nigeria at large.”

The government further accused members of the former administration of prioritising personal enrichment above governance, alleging that some public officials transformed themselves into “overnight multibillionaires” while insecurity and poverty worsened nationwide.

Without directly accusing Malami of wrongdoing, the statement painted a broader picture of what it described as years of policy inconsistency, squandered opportunities and weak governance that allegedly left Nigeria facing severe humanitarian and economic challenges.

The exchange has now exposed deeper political tensions ahead of the 2027 governorship election, particularly as former power brokers within the previous administration seek to return to elective politics.

In defending its own performance, the Kebbi State government insisted that Governor Idris inherited a deeply troubled system in 2023 but had since embarked on reforms across education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and security.

The administration claimed it had constructed thousands of classrooms, built new schools and recruited over 2,000 teachers as part of efforts to revive the education sector.

It also pointed to ongoing rehabilitation projects across the state’s 31 general hospitals and upgrades to 21 primary healthcare centres.

According to the government, reforms in the health sector had helped reverse the migration of medical personnel from the state by addressing salary disparities and improving working conditions.

On insecurity, the state government accused past federal officials of failing to confront the growing threat of banditry and terrorism while they were in office.

It argued that the current administration was dealing with the consequences of years of weak governance and alleged diversion of public resources.

The statement also took aim at Malami’s reported promise to declare a “state of emergency on governance” if elected governor, describing the pledge 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.