Citizens Alliance: Malami’s ADC Move Won’t Cleanse His Legacy of Impunity

Following his recent criticism of the Bola Tinubu administration, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which the civic watchdog group Citizens Alliance for Rule of Law and Justice (CARoLJ) has denounced as an act of “political desperation dressed in borrowed morality.”
In an Abuja statement signed by Dr. Hamzat Tunde Ayoola, the group’s president, CARoLJ said that Malami’s accusations that the current government is ignoring security and causing poverty in Nigeria are not only ironic but also a grave insult to the intelligence of Nigerians who experienced his time of constitutional vandalism and legal impunity.
Nigeria’s legal history saw some of its darkest moments under Abubakar Malami’s leadership. Dr. Ayoola stated, “To hear him now talk about justice, equity, and national renewal is to see a man trying to clean up a legacy marked by blatant abuse of state power, protection of corrupt political elites, and disobedience of court orders.”

On Wednesday, Malami, who was the Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023, formally declared his intention to defect to the ADC, saying the party provides a coalition to “rescue Nigeria from collapse.” Particularly in northern Nigeria, he lamented the economic hardship and insecurity and charged that the APC-led government was putting publicity ahead of governance.
CARoLJ, however, cited a lengthy history of policy failures, compromised prosecutions, and judicial sabotage during Malami’s tenure in power, calling his newfound compassion for the suffering of the country “both cynical and dishonest.”
The Federal Ministry of Justice under Malami turned become a weapon against the weak and a political shelter for the dishonest. He repeatedly disregarded legitimate court decisions, obstructed historic anti-corruption trials, and oversaw a legal system that progressively favored the wealthy at the cost of the populace, he claimed.
Malami allegedly allowed impunity in a number of cases, including the contentious 2017 restoration of Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, according to the group. Maina allegedly had Malami’s knowledge and support when she was smuggled back into the civil service while being on trial for major pension theft.
The reinstatement and promotion of a fugitive accused of corruption is something Malami owes Nigerians an explanation for. He declared, “That scandal alone should disqualify him from any public office for good.”
Malami’s involvement in the contentious presidential pardon of two former governors who were imprisoned for embezzlement of public monies, Jolly Nyame of Taraba State and Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, was also criticized by the organization. Civil society organizations strongly denounced the pardon, which was issued in 2022 under President Muhammadu Buhari and went through Malami’s cabinet.
“Malami helped secure clemency for men convicted of looting billions of dollars, while honest Nigerians were imprisoned for petty theft. He can no longer act like a champion of the underprivileged.
Malami was also charged by CARoLJ with undermining Nigeria’s anti-corruption initiatives by giving rash legal advice, dropping cases too soon, and routinely interfering with the work of organizations like the EFCC and ICPC.
Under Malami’s leadership, the civic group also listed a number of significant corruption cases that were either mysteriously dropped or handled poorly. These cases included the well-known case of Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum, and the contentious handling of oil contracts involving foreign interests, which resulted in settlements and legal setbacks that cost Nigeria billions of dollars.

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Malami oversaw the failure of several historic corruption cases, not due to a lack of evidence but rather to tainted prosecution and political meddling. The administration experienced a number of overseas legal setbacks when Malami was in charge, notably the P&ID arbitration case. This nation suffered greatly as a result of his shoddy legal strategy and politicization of private information. Remember Diezani’s case, Ayoola stated.
The organization cautioned voters against falling for what it referred to as Malami’s “reinvention strategy,” characterizing his switch to the ADC as “a soft launch of his long-suspected ambition to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kebbi State.”
“.” Defection to the ADC by Abubakar Malami is not a patriotic act; rather, it is a deliberate attempt at rebranding by a guy who is desperate to get away from the shadow of his own past. Nigerians should not be misled. It is impossible to disobey court rulings, defend looters, and oversee years of constitutional damage before claiming to be the face of national salvation. Malami is joining the ADC to rescue himself, not to save Nigeria, according to Ayoola.
In a direct response, CARoLJ criticized Malami’s demand that Nigerians use the ADC to “reclaim the nation” as being contradictory.
The Nigeria that Malami says he is saving is the same Nigeria that he assisted in bleeding for almost ten years. While he was focused on political consolidation, he remained silent while communities were destroyed in Zamfara, Kebbi, and Borno under Buhari. However, he now discusses banditry and suffering in the North, according to Ayoola.
During the years of banditry, Malami heard the pleas of the people of Kebbi, and his only answer was to remain silent. He can no longer say that he is your liberator. Disgraced political actors are still trying to hide behind new parties and outdated slogans, but Nigerians must fight back. Rather than desertion, accountability is the first step toward true reform.