Apparently, Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, is one man that’s always trending in the media and making front pages of virtually all the newspapers – some as a selling point for the dailies. He’s always a subject in local, conventional, and also social media for many reasons.
In fact, most of the critics, and even supporters of Abubakar Malami, don’t seem to have an in-depth knowledge of the man and the out-of-the-ordinary sacrifices and tireless efforts he’s covertly been making for the unity of the nation and the development of democracy in Nigeria.
It’s true that the All Progressives Congress, APC, led administration under the astute leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015 with a main purpose of getting the country out of the woods. Nigeria no doubt was enmeshed in corruption, manipulated and untardy criminal justice system, threat to her corporate existence, ethnic chauvinism and wide division and disaffection across religion, tribal and ethnic lines.
Certainly, President Buhari cannot do it alone so he needs a very resolute, experienced and committed aides like Malami to pull through all the intended good in moving the country forward. Fighting corruption and other nefarious activities usually comes with certain repercussions and negative consequences which is what’s really happening today – dragging Malami’s name in the mud.
For those who don’t know, the finest thing is that, Malami has built a rock-hard and well grounded reputation for himself and has attained matchless and enviable status both professionally as a legal luminary and a roaring young politician in the country – that would forever remain untinted and we would firmly frustrate all efforts aimed at tarnishing his name in the court of public opinion in the guise of playing politics.
An outstanding legal practitioner, Malami studied law and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1992. He was conferred with the revered rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, 16 years after his call to bar in recognition of his immense successes and tremendous contributions to the legal profession. Malami was counsel and magistrate in Kebbi state, his home state, and also election petition consultant for various political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC.
In politics, Malami as an active and versatile member of the APC graciously participated as a resource person to the 2014 Manifesto Drafting Sub-Committee for Party Merger Committee between the legacy parties – Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP.
Also, in 2014, during the APC’s gubernatorial primary election in Kebbi state, Malami contested but lost to the present governor of the state, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu. However, considering the critical role he played in the electoral triumph of the APC and his experience, he was appointed the Attorney General and Minister of Justiceof the Federation by President Buhari; Malami was re-appointed in the same capacity after the 2019 general elections.
As a minister, Malami has obviously stepped on many powerful toes in his resolve to fight corruption and his unwavering commitment at ensuring that criminal elements camouflaging under #EndSARS, Oduduwa and Biafran separatists, among others, did not succeed in creating chaos and undermine the country to basically massage the ego of some unpatriotic Nigerians.
By means of fighting back, the disgruntled elements have deployed multifarious shenanigans to denigrate Malami in the eyes of the public. The recent was accusing him of issuing a derogatory statement against a section of the country – some of us might have come across a derogatory post on instant messaging platforms credited to him, the post, containing ethnic slurs, was alleged to have been posted to Malami’s microblogging platform, Twitter. But a simple fact-check revealed the conspiracy and blatant lies orchestrated by the enemies of the nation against the minister.
From the Maina, Magu and Diezani cases to the recovery and repatriation of looted funds into the country, Malami has unambiguously proven to be a rare Nigerian, whose dream and aspiration is to have a better Nigeria. Therefore, no amount of campaign of calumny will deter him from serving and salvaging this nation.
Indeed, his people of Kebbi state, who admire his stint at the federal level, are fervently praying to have him succeed Governor Bagudu in 2023.
Muhammad writes from Abuja.
