The Kebbi State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has criticised campaign promises made to civil servants by former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, describing them as political claims that overlook measures already taken by the state government.
State NLC Chairman Murtala Usman said the labour movement ordinarily avoided partisan exchanges but decided to respond because it considered Malami’s comments a direct challenge to issues affecting workers.
Malami, the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate, had promised in an Independence Day broadcast to provide a befitting state secretariat and ensure prompt payment of workers’ entitlements if elected in 2027.
The NLC leadership rejected the implication that civil servants were being neglected under Governor Nasir Idris, arguing that workers had benefited from prompt payment of their rights and other employment related obligations.
The union and other stakeholders supporting the administration also criticized Malami’s record during his eight years as federal justice minister, claiming he had not provided visible support for community development in Kebbi. The assertion is a political claim by his critics and was not independently verified in the material supplied for this report.
In his Independence Day message, Idris thanked residents for supporting his administration and credited political stakeholders, traditional and religious leaders, civil servants, women, young people and security agencies with helping the government pursue its programmes.
The governor said education, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture and peaceful coexistence had recorded progress under his administration and asked residents to sustain their support.
The exchange signals an increasingly competitive political environment in Kebbi as the 2027 governorship contest gathers momentum, with workers’ welfare and the record of the incumbent administration emerging as campaign issues.
