Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent exercise of presidential pardon, describing it as “reckless” and a dangerous precedent that weakens Nigeria’s justice system and emboldens criminality.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Tinubu’s Reckless Use of Presidential Pardon Undermines Justice and Emboldens Criminality,” and posted on his Facebook page on Sunday , Atiku said the decision to grant clemency to persons convicted of “grave crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption” was indefensible and contrary to the moral duty of leadership.
Atiku said the constitutional power of pardon should serve as a “solemn prerogative” aimed at tempering justice with mercy, but lamented that Tinubu’s latest action had “diminished the sanctity of justice and damaged public faith in governance.”
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“The decision to extend clemency to individuals convicted of grave crimes 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 stated.
The former vice president noted that the timing of the pardon was particularly insensitive, given Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and rising 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,” he said.
Citing reports that about 29.2 per cent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related crimes, Atiku warned that such actions risk demoralizing law enforcement agencies and making mockery of the country’s anti-narcotics campaign.
He also drew attention to what he called “moral irony,” referencing longstanding controversies surrounding President Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a U.S. drug-related forfeiture case.
“It is no surprise that this administration continues to demonstrate a worrying tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise,” he said.
Atiku emphasized that presidential clemency must never be equated with complicity, insisting that leadership must project moral authority rather than erode it.
“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,” he added.
The PDP stalwart concluded that Nigeria deserves a leadership that strengthens the rule of law rather than one that “trivializes justice.”
“Nigeria deserves a leadership that upholds justice, not one that trivializes it,” Atiku said.
