Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s recent exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy, describing it as a reckless misuse of power that undermines justice and accountability in Nigeria.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, Atiku said the presidential pardon, which saw clemency granted to 175 convicts and former convicts including the late Major General Mamman Vatsa, Professor Magaji Garba, Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and other members of the Ogoni 9, has reduced the solemn process to “a mere triviality.”
The list also included individuals convicted of serious offences such as homicide, fraud, and illegal mining, following recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy chaired by Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Atiku criticised the inclusion of such offenders, arguing that it sends a dangerous message and erodes public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.
“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,” Atiku said. “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 former Vice President accused the Tinubu administration of “diminishing the sanctity of justice” and “emboldening criminality” by granting clemency to individuals convicted of grave crimes.
“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,” he stated.
“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 prioritise clemency for those whose actions have directly undermined national stability and social order.”
Atiku expressed particular concern over the number of drug-related offenders among those pardoned, calling the move “especially troubling” in light of Nigeria’s ongoing struggle against substance abuse.
“Particularly worrisome is the revelation that 29.2 percent 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,” he said.
He further questioned the moral standing of President Tinubu to issue such pardons, referencing unresolved controversies surrounding the President’s past.
“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,” Atiku remarked.
“It is, therefore, no surprise that this administration continues to demonstrate a worrying tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise.”
Condemning the exercise in its entirety, Atiku described it as “a mockery of the criminal justice system, an affront to victims, a demoralization of law enforcement, and a grave injury to the conscience of the nation.”
“Clemency must never be confused with complicity,” he declared. “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.”
The former Vice President concluded by calling for leadership that upholds justice rather than trivializes it.
“Nigeria deserves a leadership that upholds justice, not one that trivializes it,” Atiku stated.
