Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) for placing President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid ahead of addressing Nigeria’s deepening insecurity and economic challenges.
Speaking at a political consultative meeting organised by the National Political Consultative Group (North) on Sunday in Abuja, Malami condemned the recent APC national summit as a missed opportunity to confront Nigeria’s pressing socio-economic issues.
“Just a few days ago, the ruling party held its national summit and instead of addressing the serious issues of insecurity, economic hardship and rising poverty, it chose to focus on politics, endorsing President Bola Tinubu as the sole candidate for the 2027 election that is still two years away,” he said.
The meeting drew several high-profile political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi.
Malami, who served as Attorney-General under the Buhari administration from 2015 to 2023, said the current policies of the Tinubu-led government were crippling the economy, particularly in northern Nigeria. His remarks reflect a growing wave of dissatisfaction among APC members, particularly those from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) bloc, over the party’s current direction.
The APC national summit, held on May 22 in Abuja, saw the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) publicly endorse Tinubu for a second term, a move that has since drawn sharp criticism from both within and outside the ruling party.
A communique issued at the end of the Abuja meeting — signed by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal — called for political unity in the North and the formation of a new political platform to protect regional interests.
The communique also condemned what it termed the impunity of elected officials who endorse themselves or others for political positions without consulting their constituents. It called for mechanisms to sanction such actions in the future.
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