ABUBAKAR MALAMI – PROFILE OF AN ATTORNEY GENERAL
Attorney General of the Federation
Abubakar Malami, the current Attorney-General of the Federation of Nigeria and Minister of Justice was born on April 17, 1967 in Birnin-Kebbi, the capital of Kebbi State, Northern Nigeria, and was sworn into office on November 15, 2015.
His early formal education spans Nassarawa Primary School, Birnin Kebbi and College of Arts and Arabic Studies for secondary education. He graduated from Usmanu Dan Fodio University 1991 having obtained a degree in law – and was subsequently called to the bar in 1992 after attending the Nigerian Law School, Lagos campus. He also has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Maiduguri.
Professionally, he was conferred with the highly coveted rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, sixteen years after being called to the bar in recognition of his contribution to the legal profession which also includes stint as counsel and magistrate in Kebbi State and as an election petition strategists for various parties including the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, a party for which he also served as its National Legal Adviser. He is recognised as playing an active role in the formation of the All Progressive Congress, in 2013, during which he acted as the resource person to the Manifesto Drafting Sub-Committee of Inter Joint Party Merger Committees between the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP.
His resume in the political arena include stints as:
National Legal Adviser of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)
Chairman, Legal Team, CPC Presidential Campaign Organisation (2011)·
Chairman Legal Team, CPC Presidential Campaign Organisation (2011)·
Member, PDP Legal Team, Election Petition (2003)·
Member, Kano State LG Election Tribunal (2004)·
Member, National Convention and Congress Committee (2013)·
Member, APC Electoral Committee For Anambra State Gubernatorial Election (2013)·
Member, Kebbi State Committee on Federal Government’s National Conference Of 2013·
Chairman, APC Kano State Congress Appeals Committee (May 2014)·
Member, APC Constitution Sub-committee (June 2014).
In 2014, Abubakar contested for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress in Kebbi State but lost the primaries to Atiku Bugudu. On November 11, 2015, Abubakar was appointed, at just 48 years old, into the Muhammadu Buhari’s Cabinet as its youngest member making him a member of Nigeria’s exclusive club of preferred legal practitioners to attain the office of the Attorney-General viz:
| Attorney-general | tenue | |
| 1 | Justice Taslim elias, CFR, GCON | 1960 – 1966 |
| 2 | G.I.M Onyiuke, SAN | 1st March 1966 – 29th July 1966 |
| 3 | Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas | 1966 – 1972 |
| 4 | Justice Dan Ibekwe | 1972 – 1975 |
| 5 | Justice Augustine Nnamani, CON | 1975 -1979 |
| 6 | Richard O.A Akinjide, SAN | 1979 -1983 |
| 7 | Kehinde Sofola, SAN | Oct 1983 – Dec. 1983 |
| 8 | Chike Ofodile, SAN | 1984 – Aug. 1985 |
| 9 | Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN | 12th Sept. 1985 – 4th Dec. 1991 |
| 10 | Clement Akpamgbo, SAN | 1991 – 1993 |
| 11 | Olu Onagoruwa | 1993 – 1994 |
| 12 | Michael A. Agbamuche, SAN | 1994 – 1997 |
| 13 | Achiji Abdullahi Ibrahim, OFR, SAN | 1997 – May 1999 |
| 14 | Kanu Godwin Agabi, SAN | June 1999 – Jan. 2000 |
| 15 | Bola Ige, SAN | 3rd Jan. 200 – 23rd Dec. 2001 |
| 16 | Kanu Godwin Agabi, SAN | 2002 -2003 |
| 17 | Akin Olujimi, SAN | July 2003 – July 2005 |
| 18 | Bayo Ojo, SAN, FCI, Arb, (UK) | July 2005 –July 2007 |
| 19 | Michael A. Aondoakaa, SAN | 26th July 2007 – 10th Feb. 2010 |
| 20 | Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, SAN | 10th Feb.2010 –17th March 2010 |
| 21 | Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, CFR | 6th April 2010 – 29th May 2011 |
| 22 | Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, CFR | 2nd July 2011 – May 2015 |
| 23 | Abubakar Malami, SAN | 11th Nov. 2015 till date |
Attorneys-General in Nigeria work with Solicitors-General which past and present list are:
| S/N | NAME(S) | GENDER | TENURE | STATE OF ORIGIN |
| 1. | GODFREY KIO JAJA AMACHREE | M | 11TH Nov, 1958 – 1962 | RIVERS |
| 2. | ADEITAN AYINDE ADEDIRAN | M | 30th Sept, 1968 – 20THAug, 1974 | OYO |
| 3. | JOSEPH DIEKOLA OGUNDERE | M | 1st Jan, 1975 – 1976 | OYO |
| 4. | THOMAS SHOGBETUN | M | 2ndJan,1976 – 1st June, 1977 | OGUN |
| 5. | SIJI SOETAN | M | 1st June, 1977 – 2ndMarch,1981 | OGUN |
| 6. | HOWARD FYNN DAVID-WEST | M | 2ndMarch, 1981 – 26thMay, 1988 | RIVERS |
| 7. | DR. JAMES BABATUNDE AJALA | M | 27THMay,1988 – Dec, 1991 | OYO |
| 8. | SUNDAY. O. OJOMO | M | JAN, 1992 – July, 1993 | ONDO |
| 9. | PROF. WOLE AKANLE | M | JULY, 1993 – July,1994 | ONDO |
| 10. | TOCHUKWU ONWUGBUFOR, SAN | M | 7TH JULY, 1994 – 30thApril, 1999 | ANAMBRA |
| 11. | AKIN AKINLEYE | M | 31st April, 1999 – 17thMay, 2000 | OYO |
| 12. | TURI .O. AKERELE | F | 18th May, 2000 – 8th May, 2001 | LAGOS |
| 13. | TITILAYO A. ASABI OSINUGA | F | 9th May, 2001 – 1stMarch, 2003 | LAGOS |
| 14. | PROF. IGNATIUS AKAYAR AYUA, SAN, OFR | M | 2ndMarch, 2003 – 5th May, 2008 | BENUE |
| 15. | ABDULLAHI A. YOLA, OON | M | 18th Aug, 2008 – 10th Nov, 2015 | KANO |
| 16. | TAIWO AKINOLA ABIDOGUN ESQ | M | 10th Nov. 2015 – To – Date | OYO |
