Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s recent presidential pardon, describing it as “reckless” and “morally indefensible”.
The pardon, granted to 175 convicts and former convicts, including those convicted of serious crimes like drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption, has sparked national debate.
Atiku argued that the decision undermines justice, emboldens criminality, and sends a dangerous signal to the public and international community about the values of the government. He expressed concern that 29.2% of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related crimes, which he believes is particularly troubling given Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with narcotics abuse and insecurity.
The former Vice President emphasized that a presidential pardon should symbolize restitution and moral reform, not mockery of justice or demoralization of law enforcement. He warned that clemency must never be confused with complicity, and that the government’s decision erodes the moral authority of leadership.
Atiku’s criticism is also laced with accusations of hypocrisy, referencing President Tinubu’s past controversies involving alleged links to drug-related investigations in the United States. He urged the government to uphold justice rather than trivialize it, stressing that “Nigeria deserves a leadership that upholds justice, not one that trivializes it”.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has also condemned the pardon, describing it as a “national disgrace” that betrays the sacrifices of law enforcement officers and undermines Nigeria’s global reputation.
Clemency: ADC SLAMS TINUBU
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to grant presidential pardons to dozens of convicted drug traffickers and smugglers.
An analysis of the Presidential Pardon based on crime category shows that drug related offences accounted for 40 percent with 70 people pardoned, illegal mining offences 34 percent with 60 people granted amnesty, financial/white-collar offences had 30 people released accounting for 17 percent while violent/capital offences represents 14 percent with 25 people pardoned.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the action as “pathetic and a national disgrace,” warning that the move undermines Nigeria’s anti-drug efforts, encourages crime, and further tarnishes Nigeria’s image in the eyes of the world.
The full statement reads: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) finds as pathetic and an act of immense national disgrace the recent presidential pardon and clemency granted to several convicted criminals by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“It amounts to a most irresponsible abuse of the presidential power of prerogative of mercy to grant express pardon to dozens of convicts held for drug trafficking, smuggling, and related offences, especially when most of these convicts have barely served two years in jail for offences that carry a penalty of life imprisonment.
“According to official media statements, it appears that all it takes to get presidential clemency for even the worst of crimes in Nigeria, including drug trafficking, gun running, and murder, is to ‘show remorse and learn skills.’
“Pardons and clemency are granted for their social utility and to correct perceived miscarriages of justice, and to convicts who have paid their debts to society. But we wonder what Nigeria stands to benefit from this act of clemency to convicts serving life sentences who have barely served two years.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Nigeria is still regarded as a major transit point for illicit drugs while we face a serious national pandemic of drug use, especially among our youths. Several reports have it that Nigeria’s drug use stands at an estimated 14.4%, almost three times the global average of 5.5%.
“For years, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security agencies have risked life and limb to combat this problem, dismantle illicit drug networks, intercept consignments, prosecute offenders, and secure convictions. The men and women in these agencies have laboured under enormous risk and pressure to protect the public from the scourge of addiction, trafficking, and related crimes that carry some of the harshest penalties in Nigerian law, precisely because of their devastating impact on public health, youth development, and national security.
Granting clemency to individuals convicted under such laws therefore strikes at the very foundation of Nigeria’s legal and moral stance against narcotics and makes a mockery of the gallant efforts of officers fighting the battle against narcotics and illicit drugs.
“These pardons also send reverberations beyond Nigeria’s borders. They undercut our standing among global partners in the fight against drug trafficking and give the unfortunate impression to the rest of the world that our country, under President Tinubu, has particular sympathy for drug dealers and that Nigeria is a risk-free jurisdiction for traffickers in narcotics.
“Make no mistake, with this mass clemency for drug dealers, President Tinubu and the APC are redefining the standard of morality in our country. They are gradually transforming Nigeria into a country where anything goes, where even the worst of crimes attract no punishment beyond a few months of inconvenience for the criminal to, by their assessment, “show remorse.”
“The mission of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) remains clear: to rescue our country from this ruling party, the APC, to whom public opinion or accountability means nothing, and power and impunity mean everything.”
Yoruba Union Condemns Tinubu’s Clemency For Convicted Criminals, Warns Of Future Where murderers, Drug Barons Rise To Power
The Yoruba Union, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to grant clemency to convicted criminals, describing it as a dangerous move that undermines the rule of law and threatens the moral foundation of the nation.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by the Union’s Convener, Olusola Badero, alongside its Home Director, Princess Balogun, the group accused President Tinubu of creating a political culture that could one day allow individuals with criminal records, including drug traffickers, murderers, and economic saboteurs, to ascend to positions of leadership and power.
“The decision to pardon individuals convicted of heinous crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, and illegal mining represents a grave miscarriage of justice,” it said.
“By absolving convicted criminals through political influence, President Tinubu is normalising impunity at the highest level of governance. This action erodes public confidence in the judiciary, weakens democratic institutions, and sends a wrong message that crime pays in Nigeria.”
The Union described Tinubu’s action as a betrayal of justice, morality, and the Yoruba heritage that upholds Omolúàbí values, that is, integrity, accountability, and respect for life.
“How can a president of a country wake up one day and announce he is going to pardon murderers and drug barons, at a time when Nigeria is facing overwhelming challenges such as insecurity, poverty, unemployment, decaying education, and a collapsing health sector?” the statement queried.
The Yoruba Union argued that the presidential pardon for convicts, including those found guilty of economic sabotage and capital offences, shows a lack of sensitivity to the plight of victims and their families.
The group specifically cited the pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted for killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, the son of a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman.
“While the parents of Bilyamin Bello still live with the pain and trauma of losing their son, the government has chosen to reward his killer with freedom.
“Would they find peace knowing that the same country that convicted their son’s murderer has now pardoned her for political reasons? Such acts of favoritism destroy the moral compass of our society,” the Union said.
The Ìgbìn Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá also drew attention to President Tinubu’s own controversial past, referencing the 1993 U.S. court ruling that linked him to narcotics trafficking.
The United States District Court, presided over by Magistrate Judge John A. Rijcklo, found that Tinubu and his associates “peddled drugs on a large scale,” describing the operations as “substantial.”
Rijcklo ruled that the funds recovered from Tinubu represented “proceeds of narcotics trafficking and property involved in money laundering, in violation of U.S. Code 18 USC §§ 1956 and 1957.”
“It is deeply troubling,” the Yoruba Union said, “that someone who once forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government as proceeds from drug trafficking now holds the power to pardon others convicted of similar crimes. What moral standing does such a leader have to speak about law, justice, and integrity?”
The group warned that Nigeria risks becoming a nation where criminals and corrupt politicians dominate leadership positions while law-abiding citizens are marginalised, silenced, or punished.
“When the state chooses to pardon murderers and drug traffickers but continues to prosecute farmers and ordinary citizens for defending their lives and livelihoods, justice loses all meaning,” it said.
To illustrate the hypocrisy in Nigeria’s justice system, the Yoruba Union recalled the case of a farmer named Jackson in Adamawa State, who was sentenced to death in 2013 after killing a Fulani herder in self-defence.
According to the group, Jackson had pleaded that the herder attacked him with a weapon after invading his farmland with cattle, yet he was convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to die by hanging.
“In a country where a poor farmer defending himself is condemned to death, while a convicted murderer walks free by presidential pardon, there is no justice, only selective mercy,” the group stated.
“Such an imbalance not only deepens mistrust in governance but also pushes citizens to lose faith in the very institutions meant to protect them.”
The Yoruba Union expressed fears that President Tinubu’s actions are eroding Yoruba values of justice, integrity, and communal responsibility.
It cautioned that the continued glorification of corrupt and criminal figures in politics could lead to a generation that sees crime as a legitimate path to success and political power.
“This is what happens when people vote for leaders guided by self-interest rather than moral values. The consequence is a country trapped in a cycle of corruption, insecurity, and economic despair. Only divine intervention can save Nigeria from the calamities ahead if this culture of impunity persists.”
Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá called on religious leaders, civil society organisations, and citizens to rise against what it described as “a creeping normalisation of evil” in Nigeria’s governance system.
“The Yoruba people have always stood for truth, justice, and fairness,” it said.
“We cannot sit back while the country descends into moral chaos. President Tinubu must remember that leadership is not about rewarding allies, but about upholding justice, protecting the innocent, and preserving the integrity of the nation.”
Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá urged Nigerians, particularly Yoruba citizens, to remain vigilant, uphold the principles of truth and justice, and resist attempts to normalise corruption and moral decay in governance.
