Malami Kebbi challenge gains momentum as INEC lists the former minister as ADC candidate against Governor Nasir Idris ahead of the 2027 election
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami has emerged as the African Democratic Congress candidate for the 2027 Kebbi State governorship election, with the Independent National Electoral Commission listing Malami against incumbent Governor Nasir Idris of the All Progressives Congress as the opposition intensifies efforts to challenge the ruling party in the state.
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The development is adding a new dimension to the Kebbi governorship contest, with the ADC positioning Malami’s national political experience alongside a growing campaign structure across the state’s 21 local government areas.
The party has openly declared its intention to unseat Governor Idris, whose first term has been dominated by the APC’s established political structure in the state.
Malami’s emergence gives the opposition campaign a nationally recognised figure with extensive experience in federal politics and legal affairs.
The former minister served as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2022. Before entering federal politics, Malami was a prominent lawyer and political figure in Kebbi.
The ADC has already begun building the organisational machinery it hopes will convert Malami’s candidacy into a competitive statewide campaign.
On August 26, Malami inaugurated a campaign council comprising more than 600 members and tasked the group with strengthening the party’s presence at grassroots level.
The campaign council is expected to coordinate the ADC’s activities across communities, wards and polling units throughout Kebbi.
Malami said the structure was intended to support the party’s candidates collectively rather than serve solely as a vehicle for his own governorship campaign.
The approach reflects the scale of the challenge facing the ADC. Winning a governorship election requires a broad network capable of mobilising voters across urban centres and rural communities, particularly in a state with 21 local government areas.
The emerging Malami Kebbi challenge is also taking shape against a shifting opposition landscape.
The Peoples Democratic Party has experienced difficulties maintaining its previous political strength in the state, while several prominent politicians have moved towards either the APC or the ADC.
That realignment has created an opening for the ADC to present itself as the principal alternative to the incumbent administration.
However, the opposition party is dealing with internal disagreements of its own.
Three aggrieved ADC aspirants, Abubakar Sadiq Sa’adu Fakai, Muhammad Umar and Nafiu Bello Shuwa, have challenged their alleged replacement after the party’s primaries and are pursuing their grievances through legal channels.
The three politicians have also rejected claims that they were sponsored to undermine Malami or destabilise the ADC.
Their position, according to the report, is that their dispute concerns their alleged removal as candidates rather than opposition to Malami’s governorship ambition.
The disagreement presents a potential test for the ADC’s ability to maintain cohesion as the election approaches.
A fragmented campaign structure could weaken the party’s efforts to build the kind of grassroots organisation required to challenge an incumbent with an established political network.
Malami has sought to address such concerns by calling for reconciliation and dialogue within the party.
The former minister has urged ADC leaders and supporters to avoid tribalism, sectional interests and internal rivalry, stressing the importance of working collectively ahead of the election.
Governor Nasir Idris, meanwhile, enters the contest with the advantage of incumbency and the organisational resources of the APC.
Idris became governor in 2023 after defeating the PDP candidate in the governorship election and remains the ruling party’s candidate for the 2027 contest.
The APC’s existing structure will be an important factor in the election, particularly across local government and ward-level political networks.
Malami’s candidacy nevertheless changes the character of the opposition challenge.
Rather than a contest involving a lesser-known challenger, the ADC now has a former federal minister with considerable political experience at the centre of its campaign.
The contest is therefore likely to attract attention beyond Kebbi as the 2027 elections draw closer.
For the ADC, the immediate task will be turning Malami’s national profile into sustained local support.
That will require the party to resolve its internal disputes, maintain unity among its candidates and strengthen its organisation across Kebbi’s communities.
For the APC, the emergence of a prominent opposition challenger means incumbency alone may not settle the contest.
The coming months are expected to provide a clearer picture of whether the ADC can build enough momentum to convert its campaign ambitions into a serious electoral challenge.
Also read:Â Obi, Kwankwaso Meet NDC Candidates in Abuja Ahead of 2027
With INEC’s candidate listing now placing Malami and Idris on opposite sides of the 2027 governorship race, Kebbi is shaping up as a potentially competitive contest in which political organisation, voter sentiment and opposition unity could prove decisive.
