Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu over his latest round of presidential pardons, describing the decision as “reckless,” “morally indefensible,” and one that “emboldens criminality while eroding public faith in justice.”
In a strongly worded statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of abusing the constitutional prerogative of mercy, saying the power was meant to uphold justice through compassion — not to trivialise criminality or shield offenders from accountability.
He wrote: “Ordinarily, the power of presidential pardon is a solemn prerogative — a moral and constitutional instrument designed to temper justice with mercy and 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.”
President Tinubu had, on Thursday, granted clemency to 175 convicts and former convicts, including the late Major General Mamman Vatsa, Major Akubo, Professor Magaji Garba, Maryam Sanda, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and other members of the Ogoni Eight.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the decision followed recommendations by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. The list also included persons convicted of serious crimes such as homicide, illegal mining, and fraud.
But Atiku faulted the inclusion of such offenders, arguing that the move undermines public confidence in the justice system and “emboldens criminality.”
“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,” Atiku said.
He further condemned what he described as “the moral irony” of the decision, recalling that the President himself has long faced public scrutiny over unresolved allegations relating to a U.S. court forfeiture involving drug-related investigations.
“Even more disturbing,” Atiku added, “is the moral irony that this act of clemency comes from a President whose past remains clouded by unresolved issues relating to the forfeiture of thousands of dollars to the United States government over drug-related investigations.”
The former Vice President warned that the decision sends the wrong message at a time when Nigeria is grappling with moral decline, insecurity, and rising narcotics abuse among youths.
“At a time when Nigeria is battling insecurity, moral decline, and rising drug-related offences, it is both shocking and indefensible for the Presidency to prioritise clemency for individuals who have undermined national stability and social order,” he said.
He also cited statistics suggesting that about 29.2 per cent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related crimes, describing the decision as “insensitive” and “a betrayal of Nigeria’s anti-drug campaign.”
“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,” Atiku said.
He concluded with a stinging rebuke of the administration’s moral compass: “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.”
