Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation, has criticised chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for taking turns to endorse President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Malami spoke during a meeting organised by the National Political Consultative Group (North) in Abuja on Sunday.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023; Chibuike Amaechi, former governor of Rivers state; were among opposition leaders who attended the meeting.

The gathering was one in a series of consultative events by opposition leaders seeking to forge a coalition against Tinubu.

In his keynote address, the ex-AGF said Tinubu’s policies are crippling the economy of northern Nigeria.

Malami said rather than address the myriad challenges bedevilling the country, endorsing Tinubu for a second term in office has taken centre stage in the ruling party.

“Just a few days ago, the ruling party held its national summit and instead of addressing the serious issues of insecurity, economic hardship and rising poverty, it chose to focus on politics, endorsing President Bola Tinubu as sole candidate for the 2027 election that is still two years away,” Malami was quoted as saying by THISDAY.

The former AGF urged stakeholders to form a united front to “reclaim” the country and create a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

On May 22, the APC held a national summit in Abuja, which was attended by party stakeholders, including Tinubu and Shettima.

At the summit, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) formally endorsed Tinubu as the sole candidate of the APC for the 2027 election.

Malami served as attorney-general of the federation from 2015 to 2023 under the APC-led administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.