The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum has criticised a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for opposing ex-Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura’s statement that members of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change bloc would not join the coalition being formed by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Malami, who served as Attorney-General and Justice Minister during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, had countered a declaration by the CPC bloc within the APC, led by Al-Makura, which pledged loyalty to President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement released by his media aide, Muhammad Bello Doka, Malami asserted that the Buhari faction of the CPC bloc, to which he belongs, is the legitimate voice on decisions regarding joining the opposition coalition, not Al-Makura’s group.

However, responding to Malami’s comments in a statement on Saturday, the North-Central APC Forum dismissed his claims, asserting that Malami lacks the credibility to represent the CPC bloc.

The Forum had earlier praised the Al-Makura-led CPC bloc for rejecting the proposed opposition coalition.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, a member of the APC campaign council during the 2023 election, the Forum stated that Nigerians are uninterested in Malami’s opinions, associating him with controversies stemming from his actions under the Buhari administration.

The Forum argued that Malami’s track record disqualifies him from representing any credible group. It further accused Malami of being a central figure in numerous instances of impunity during Buhari’s presidency.

“Abubakar Malami contributed significantly to the failures of the Buhari administration through the poor advice he gave the former President. Nigerians are unwilling to hear from Malami again because they are still grappling with the consequences of the impunity he perpetuated during his tenure as Attorney-General and Justice Minister,” Zazzaga said.

“It is widely known that Malami was involved in most of the missteps of the Buhari administration. He undermined the anti-corruption campaign with his undue influence over the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He single-handedly imposed Abdulrasheed Bawa as EFCC chairman, leading to the derailment of high-profile corruption cases.”

The North-Central APC Forum also accused Malami of supporting unpopular policies under Buhari, including the Naira redesign, which caused nationwide cash shortages and severe hardship.

Additionally, the forum criticised Malami for failing to support Tinubu during the 2023 election.

Despite Malami denying rumours of a potential defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the forum claimed he is collaborating with those opposed to Tinubu’s administration.

“It is no surprise that Malami is aligning with the opposition coalition. During the last election, he and others in Buhari’s camp failed to back Bola Tinubu as the APC presidential candidate. Now that his expectations were not met, he supports those working against Tinubu’s administration,” Zazzaga said.

The forum emphasised that Tinubu does not need Malami or his allies to secure victory in 2027.