…Says it undermines justice, encourages crime and weakens justice
Former Vice-President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has taken a swipe at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the recent presidential pardon granted to several convicted persons, describing the decision as reckless, morally indefensible, and a grave assault on the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.
Atiku, in a statement issued yesterday, said the exercise, which reportedly included individuals convicted of serious offences such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption, has provoked nationwide outrage and weakened public confidence in the government’s commitment to the rule of law.
According to him, the constitutional power of clemency is meant to serve as an act of mercy guided by conscience and justice, not as a political tool to protect or reward wrongdoers.
He said the latest pardon “diminishes the sanctity of justice” and “sends a dangerous signal to both the public and the international community about the moral standards of the current administration”. The former VP expressed dismay that at a time when Nigeria is battling worsening insecurity, moral decline, and a surge in drug-related offences, the presidency would choose to grant clemency to persons whose actions have directly undermined national stability and social order.
Atiku further noted that nearly 30 percent of those pardoned were convicted of drug-related crimes, a figure he described as particularly troubling given the devastating impact of narcotics on Nigerian youths and the country’s already tainted global image in drug-related matters. He added that this decision represents a “mockery of the criminal justice system, an affront to victims, and a demoralization of law enforcement agencies who risk their lives daily to keep the nation safe”.
In a pointed remark, the former Vice-President drew attention to what he termed the moral irony of such clemency, coming from a leader whose past, he said: “remains clouded by unresolved issues relating to the forfeiture of funds to the United States government over drug-related investigations”. He said it was therefore unsurprising that the Tinubu administration continues to demonstrate what he called “a worrying tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise”.
Atiku maintained that the presidential pardon power must never be abused or used as a political instrument to shield allies, insisting that true clemency must reflect justice, moral reform, and restitution. “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 declared.
He concluded by calling on Nigerians to demand greater accountability and moral leadership, warning that the country cannot build a just and stable society when those in power appear to trivialize justice. “Nigeria deserves leaders who uphold justice, not those who compromise it”, he said.
He further urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, insisting that the country deserves leadership that upholds justice and integrity rather than one that “trivializes national values and diminishes the dignity of governance”.
