Atiku Slams Tinubu For Granting Presidential Pardon To Drug Traffickers, Murderers

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of misusing the power of presidential pardon, saying it is reckless and morally wrong.

President Tinubu recently approved the release of 175 individuals after receiving the recommendation of the National Council of State.

Those granted pardon include Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s early nationalists; Farouk Lawan, a former lawmaker; Major General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 for alleged treason; and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for killing her husband in 2017.

Others on the list include drug offenders, illegal miners, white-collar criminals, and some foreigners.

Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, said most of the convicts were pardoned because they had shown remorse and good behavior during their time in custody.

However, Atiku Abubakar, in a statement on Sunday, said the move undermines justice and encourages criminal behavior, arguing that the decision betrays the true intent of the constitutional power it represents.

He criticized the decision to free individuals convicted of serious crimes such as drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, and corruption, saying it weakens the rule of law and sends the wrong message to both Nigerians and the international community about the values of this government.

Atiku added that at a time when Nigeria is facing insecurity, moral decline, and rising drug-related crimes, it is alarming for the presidency to grant freedom to those who contributed to these problems.

He also pointed out the irony of the decision, saying it comes from a president who is still clouded by unresolved questions over a case involving the forfeiture of thousands of dollars to the U.S. government in a drug-related investigation.

Atiku argued that the presidential pardon should represent forgiveness and moral reform, but under Tinubu, it has become “a mockery of justice, an insult to victims, and a blow to the integrity of law enforcement.”

The statement reads, “The recent announcement of a presidential pardon by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has, as expected, provoked outrage across the nation.

“Ordinarily, the power of presidential pardon is a solemn prerogative, a moral and constitutional instrument designed to temper justice with mercy and to underscore the humanity of the state.

“When properly exercised, it elevates justice and strengthens public faith in governance. Regrettably, the latest pardon issued by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite.

“The decision to extend clemency to individuals convicted of grave crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption not only diminishes the sanctity of justice but also sends a dangerous signal to the public and the international community about the values this government upholds.

“At a time when Nigeria continues to reel under the weight of insecurity, moral decay, and a surge in drug-related offences, it is both shocking and indefensible that the presidency would prioritize clemency for those whose actions have directly undermined national stability and social order.

“Particularly worrisome is the revelation that 29.2% per cent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related crimes at a time when our youth are being destroyed by narcotics, and our nation is still struggling to cleanse its image from the global stain of drug offences.

“Even more disturbing is the moral irony that this act of clemency is coming from a President whose own past remains clouded by unresolved and unexplained issues relating to the forfeiture of thousands of dollars to the United States government over drug-related investigations.

“It is, therefore, no surprise that this administration continues to demonstrate a worrying tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise.

“A presidential pardon is meant to symbolise restitution and moral reform. Instead, what we have witnessed is a mockery of the criminal justice system, an affront to victims, a demoralisation of law enforcement, and a grave injury to the conscience of the nation.

“Clemency must never be confused with complicity. When a government begins to absolve offenders of the very crimes it claims to be fighting, it erodes the moral authority of leadership and emboldens lawlessness.

“Nigeria deserves a leadership that upholds justice, not one that trivialises it,” Atiku said.

Meanwhile, the National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).