Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s recent exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy, describing it as a reckless abuse of power that undermines justice and weakens Nigeria’s moral standing.
In separate statements issued on Sunday, both Atiku and the ADC faulted the decision to grant clemency to 175 individuals, including those convicted of drug trafficking, murder, illegal mining, and corruption, calling it a dangerous precedent that trivialises criminal accountability.
Atiku, in a statement on Sunday, said the latest round of pardons “betrays the solemn purpose” of presidential clemency, which he described as a moral and constitutional tool meant to temper justice with mercy. Instead, he argued, President Tinubu’s action “emboldens criminality” and “diminishes the sanctity of justice.”
“The power of pardon should elevate justice, not mock it,” Atiku said. “Granting clemency to individuals convicted of serious crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, and corruption sends a dangerous message that the government is tolerant of the very ills it claims to be fighting.” He expressed particular concern that nearly a third of the beneficiaries were convicted of drug-related offences, calling it “a tragic irony” given the President’s own unresolved history with drug-related allegations.
Similarly, the ADC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the mass clemency as “a most irresponsible abuse of presidential power,” warning that it undermines Nigeria’s decades-long struggle against narcotics and tarnishes the nation’s reputation before its international partners.
The party noted that more than 30 of those pardoned were convicted drug offenders, a move it said “strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s legal and moral stance against narcotics” and mocks the sacrifices of security agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). “While NDLEA operatives risk their lives daily to dismantle drug networks, the presidency is busy absolving traffickers,” the ADC said, adding that the decision could make Nigeria appear “soft on crime” and “sympathetic to drug dealers” in the eyes of the world.
Among those pardoned were the late nationalist Herbert Macaulay, the late Major General Mamman Vatsa, and Maryam Sanda, convicted for the murder of her husband. Defending the decision, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the clemency was based on reports of good conduct, remorse, and historical redress.
However, both Atiku and the ADC insisted that the exercise represents a moral failing at a time when Nigeria grapples with insecurity, corruption, and a youth drug epidemic. “Clemency must never be confused with complicity,” Atiku warned. “When a government begins to absolve offenders of the very crimes it claims to fight, it erodes the moral authority of leadership.”
