BIRNIN KEBBI – The political atmosphere in Kebbi State reached a boiling point this weekend as Abubakar Malami, SAN, the former Attorney General of the Federation and current governorship aspirant under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), issued a blistering rebuttal to the state government’s recent 1,500-word critique of his candidacy.
In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami accused the Governor Nasir Idris-led administration of resorting to “empty propaganda” and ad hominem attacks to mask a failure in governance. The core of the dispute centers on the management of over One Trillion Naira in total revenue—including FAAC allocations, IGR, and loans—which Malami claims the state has received over the last three years without commensurate development.
The “Data of Despair”
Malami’s camp argued that while the government’s response was lengthy, it significantly failed to address or refute the dire socio-economic indices currently plaguing the state. Among the unrefuted facts cited were:
- Education Crisis: A staggering 67.6% of children aged 6–15 remain out of school, with a net attendance rate of only 38%.
- Health Emergency: New reports indicate that 608 children died from severe malnutrition between January and September 2025 alone. UNICEF data further suggests that 88% of Kebbi’s children live in multidimensional poverty.
- Rural Neglect: Malaria prevalence among children under five stands at 81.5%, while 71% of pregnant women in rural areas lack access to basic antenatal care.
Security Concerns and Economic Rebuttal
The statement also touched on the “persistent insecurity” in the region, specifically referencing the surge in banditry that led to the high-profile abduction of the Deputy Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Muhammad Bagudo, in late 2025.
Responding to allegations of economic mismanagement during his time in the federal cabinet, Malami defended the Buhari administration’s policies. He noted that the previous government’s use of subsidies and exchange rate management “protected citizens from the severe economic shocks” currently being felt under the new federal fiscal regime—a regime that has, ironically, tripled the monthly allocations flowing into Kebbi’s coffers.
A Call for Accountability
With the 2027 election cycle drawing near, Malami’s declaration of intent appears to have unsettled the state’s political establishment.
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”A performing administration would highlight results rather than issue lengthy attacks on an aspirant,” the statement read. “The people of Kebbi—farmers who have abandoned their lands and mothers who have lost children to malnutrition—will ultimately be the judges.”
Malami reaffirmed his focus on a six-point agenda: security, public education, healthcare delivery, agricultural revival, youth opportunity, and “restoring dignity to governance.”
As the “One Trillion Naira” debate continues to trend across the state, observers say the 2027 race in Kebbi may transform into a referendum on fiscal transparency and the handling of the North-West’s deepening humanitarian crisis.
