Indications are emerging that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, may secure the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State for the 2023 general elections. Malami did not participate in the APC primary election, where former National President of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Nasir Idris, popularly known as Nasir NUT, was APC governorship candidate at party’s primaries held at Haliru Abdu Stadium, Birnin Kebbi. Malami who had indicated interest for the APC governorship ticket in Kebbi backed out of the race when President Muhammadu Buhari ordered members of the Federal Executive Council aspiring for party tickets to resign their ministerial appointment in accordance with the Electoral Act. Malami opted to retain his ministerial appointment and pulled out of the governorship race.
Nasir Idris had defeated other governorship aspirants who include Yahya Abdullahi, Abubakar Gari Malam, etc.
Meanwhile, APC leaders in Kebbi State were gathered to be opposed to the candidature of Idris perceived to be imposed on the party members by Governor Atiku Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State.
APC leaders are protesting that the governorship candidate Gov Bagudu imposed has only primary school leaving certificate but rose through the ranks of the NUT to become vice president and later national president. Idris teaching career was primary school; he relied on union politics to rise to National Vice President, then, NUT President.
Currently, there is power-play between Governor Atiku Bagudu and APC leaders in Kebbi State, which is creating a vacuum for Malami to play himself back in Kebbi APC. The power play is generating pressure for replacement of the governorship candidate in Kebbi, which the Electoral Act 2022 is cited to approve at a particular stage of the electoral process.
Party sources from Kebbi told National Daily that the APC governorship candidate, Idris, is not popular among party members.
Governor Atiku Bagudu, party sources said, preferred to pick somebody that is weak, that was why he picked somebody with primary school. The sources maintained that Governor Atiku Bagudu does not pray to handover to Malami; he expected Malami to become vice president. However, Malami’s first interest was to be governor not president. Since 2019 Malami has been ambitious to be governor; but Buhari did not approve Malami to become governor.
Governor Bagudu was said to have lied to Buhari that APC stakeholders in Kebbi did not like Malami, adding that party members were defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of Malami. Party members were, however, of the view that Bagudu did not want justice minister because he felt Malami was too strong for him to control.
Meanwhile, Malami is married to the daughter of President Buhari which gives him more access and influence on the president. However, the president’s daughter he married is not Aisha’s child but that of the late wife.
Bagudu was said to have frustrated Adamu Aliero out of the APC to the PDP in Kebbi State.
Now, the heat is on and APC leaders are considering a replacement which could make Malami take the APC governorship ticket in Kebbi State.