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, vowing to confront insecurity and rebuild the state’s declining agricultural sector.
Malami made the announcement during an interview with DCL Hausa on Monday, monitored by our correspondent. He expressed confidence in his political backing across the state, despite restrictions on early mobilisation.
“INEC guidelines don’t permit mobilisation yet, but when the time comes, you will see that the people of Kebbi are with us. I have agreed to contest, and there is no retreat. God willing, we are going to win. We won’t disappoint those who believe in us,” he said.
The former AGF criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress, accusing the party of worsening insecurity in the North and allowing policies that have crippled farming communities. He lamented that persistent bandit attacks had forced countless farmers off their land, threatening food production and shutting down long-standing rice mills.
“Today, rice mills that operated for two decades have shut down because of bad policies that favour foreign companies,” Malami said, blaming both state and federal governments for “negligence and policy failure.”
He said his governorship ambition is driven by a desire to “salvage Kebbi State,” restore security, revive agriculture, and protect the welfare of residents, stressing that his campaign is “not for personal gain but a rescue mission.”
Malami resigned from the All Progressives Congress in July and defected to the African Democratic Congress after what he described as “wide consultations and deep personal reflection.”
He maintained that his departure from the APC was not motivated by anger or personal ambition but by “love for our nation and concern for the hardship our people are facing daily.”
