UNDP Poverty Report: Kebbi Government Accuses Malami of Political Manipulation

The Kebbi State Government has criticised African Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship candidate Abubakar Malami over his use of a United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, poverty report to criticise Governor Nasir Idris’s administration ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed-BK, stated this on Sunday in Birnin Kebbi while responding to Malami’s comments on poverty, insecurity and water scarcity in the state.

Ahmed-BK accused Malami, a former Attorney-General of the Federation, of selectively presenting the report, which reportedly ranked Kebbi among Nigeria’s poorest states, without considering the period covered by the data or the government’s ongoing interventions.

“The question is not whether poverty exists in Kebbi; the question is what caused it, who had the opportunity to address it, and what is being done today to overcome it. Poverty is a serious social challenge, not a political trophy to be brandished for electoral advantage,” Ahmed-BK said.

He challenged Malami to explain his contributions to improving the living conditions of Kebbi residents during his years in the federal government under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The commissioner also questioned the period covered by the UNDP report and its methodology, arguing that the data should not be used to assess the current administration without establishing when they were collected.

On insecurity, Ahmed-BK recalled controversy over Malami’s reported claim in June 2025 that about 200 people had been killed in Tadurga Ward of Zuru Emirate.

He said statements attributed to local security authorities, local government officials and the Zuru Emirate Council disputed the figure and gave lower casualty estimates.

Ahmed-BK said the Idris administration had supported security agencies with vehicles and motorcycles and established additional security formations and operational bases.

The commissioner urged Malami and other political actors to present verifiable policy alternatives for tackling poverty, insecurity, unemployment and inadequate access to essential services.