I met Abubakar Malami, SAN, for the first time at Eagle Square, Abuja, on the morning of 6 January 2011, at the conclusion of th...
I met Abubakar Malami, SAN, for the first time at Eagle Square, Abuja, on the morning of 6 January 2011, at the conclusion of the National Convention of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC). I had just been elected National Deputy Secretary of the CPC, while Abubakar Malami was elected National Legal Adviser. Both of us, along with other national officers, were inaugurated that morning by General Muhammadu Buhari. From January 2011 until 31 July 2013, Malami and I served together as members of the CPC National Executive Committee. We were also appointed to the CPC Merger Committee by General Buhari to negotiate the merger of the CPC with Asiwaju, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s defunct Action Congress of Nigeria. During this period, Malami and I developed a cordial and convivial relationship.
Between October 2013 and October 2015, I managed his law firm in Abuja while he remained based in Kano. When Malami was appointed Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in November 2015, I was elated and happy for him. We belonged to a circle of political associates and friends drawn from the CPC across the country, including Saddiya Umar Farouk, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, Pastor Funsho Longe, Osita Okechukwu, Architect Waziri Bulama, and Ahmed Gambo. In November 2015, we formed the Governance Support Group to quietly support the Federal Government behind the scenes. After Malami’s appointment, the group resolved to recommend me to him as Special Assistant. Malami accepted, but I initially rejected the offer, feeling it was not the role I wished to play in government. Under pressure from members of the group and my wife, I reluctantly agreed in December 2015 and resumed work at the Federal Ministry of Justice. From December 2015 to April 2016, I performed the role, but since President Buhari had not approved the appointment, I was not placed on the payroll.
In April 2016, I unexpectedly received a letter of appointment signed by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pastor David Babachir Lawal, appointing me Senior Special Assistant to the President in the Prosecution, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. I sensed Malami was not pleased with the appointment. He ensured I was rendered redundant, rarely assigning me meaningful tasks beyond occasional inconsequential duties. I felt underutilized and frustrated, even contemplating resignation. This situation persisted until July 2017, when I was appointed Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property. Initially, Malami was expected to provide case files for the Panel, but none were forthcoming. I used my initiative to create work for the Panel and even requested prosecutors from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, with the Vice President’s advice. Malami referred the matter to the DPP, who rejected it. Our relationship deteriorated further.
In November 2017, I received a letter stating that the Vice President had resolved to suspend the Panel. Shortly after, Malami reinforced the suspension and directed me not to speak to the press. These communications were leaked to the media by Malami’s Special Assistant, which I perceived as a deliberate attempt to ridicule me. Although Malami was abroad, I contacted him via text messages to express my displeasure and threatened to resign. He implored me not to resign and to show understanding. Nevertheless, our relationship remained frosty. I avoided him but continued my work, always updating him. He rarely encouraged me, though in April 2018 he commended my exposure of massive assets traced to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, then Deputy Senate President.
By July 2019, I confided in Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi that I would not wish to continue my work if Malami were reappointed Attorney General, as he failed to support me. In August 2019, I was suspended, and Malami told the media I had exceeded my mandate, investigating over 500 unauthorized cases. Following my suspension, my security details were withdrawn, leaving me exposed to reprisals from powerful figures I had investigated. Fearing for my safety, I left the country.
I asked my wife to reach out to Malami to reconcile us. Malami knew her well, as she had been part of the CPC legal team in 2011. My wife, accompanied by Barrister Chidi Nwanu, visited Malami in his Abuja office. Malami vented his bitterness, alleging there were 50 petitions against me with the police, that I was not a team player, and that I had petitioned against him. He accused me of seeking President Buhari’s support behind his back and claimed I was after his job as Attorney General. My wife was shocked by his tirade and excused herself. Later, a senior lawyer from Kebbi State, aware of my past relationship with Malami, attempted reconciliation. He told me Malami believed I wanted his job. I dismissed the allegation, noting that the Attorney General’s position was not zoned to my region and that I was not a Senior Advocate, as convention required. I eventually rejected reconciliation efforts, telling the lawyer that Malami should have confronted me directly if he believed the rumours. Since he chose to believe tales from patronage seekers and the rumour mill, I felt reconciliation was undesirable. I sent him a final message: I would not beg Malami, as I had never wronged him. If he believed his power in government was permanent, he should remember that both life and power are transient.
Conclusion
This account reflects the complexities of political relationships, the challenges of loyalty, and the corrosive effects of mistrust within the corridors of power. My journey underscores the reality that in politics, friendships are often tested by ambition, suspicion, and the transient nature of authority.
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