Tinubu Encouraging Criminals Through Presidential Pardon — Atiku
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described President Bola Tinubu’s recent presidential pardon for convicted criminals as reckless and dangerous, accusing the administration of undermining justice and encouraging criminal behaviour.
“Tinubu’s reckless use of presidential pardon undermines justice and emboldens criminality,” Atiku said in a statement on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the federal government released the full list of pardon beneficiaries.
President Tinubu had on Thursday granted clemency to several convicts, including former lawmaker Farouk Lawan, who was jailed for a fuel subsidy scam, and Nweke Francis Chibueze, sentenced to life imprisonment for cocaine trafficking.
Atiku condemned the decision, saying it “diminishes the sanctity of justice” and sends a wrong message to Nigerians and the international community.
“Extending clemency to individuals convicted of grave crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption not only diminishes justice but also signals dangerous moral decay in governance,” he said.
He recalled Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a 1993 drug trafficking scandal that led to the forfeiture of $460,000 to the U.S. government, describing it as “unsurprising” that the current administration shows tolerance toward individuals linked to criminal activities.
“Even more disturbing is the moral irony that this act of clemency is coming from a president whose own past remains clouded by unresolved issues relating to the forfeiture of thousands of dollars to the United States government over drug-related investigations,” Atiku added.
He said it was particularly alarming that about 29.2 per cent of those pardoned were convicted of drug-related offences, at a time when Nigerian youths were suffering from narcotic abuse and the country struggled to repair its global image.
According to him, presidential pardon is meant to symbolise moral reform and strengthen faith in governance, but the Tinubu administration had turned it into “a mockery of the criminal justice system, an affront to victims, and a grave injury to the nation’s conscience.”
Atiku argued that granting clemency to people who undermined national stability was unjustifiable, especially as the country faced insecurity, corruption, and moral decay.
He insisted that Tinubu’s past drug scandal, which resurfaced after he declared his presidential ambition in 2022, continues to cast a shadow on his administration’s credibility.
In 2022, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois released documents detailing Tinubu’s encounter with U.S. authorities over alleged narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
