Tinubu’s Presidential Pardon Sparks Public Outrage.

Tinubu.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu, exercising his constitutional prerogative of mercy, granted pardon to 175 Nigerians convicted of various offences, including drug trafficking, murder, armed robbery, illegal mining, and other crimes. Some of these individuals were serving life or death sentences.

Ordinarily, such an act by the president would be expected to attract commendation, but the opposite has been the case.

Tinubu has come under heavy criticism, particularly for extending clemency to convicted drug traffickers and murderers who were expected to serve long prison terms but had only spent about two years behind bars.

Critics argue that the president’s decision could embolden others involved in illegal drug trafficking, making them believe that even if caught, they would face light punishment and eventually be pardoned.

Some have also claimed that the action contradicts the government’s proclaimed commitment to fighting drug trafficking.

According to this group, the government’s repeated declarations of a tough stance against narcotics may now appear to be a mere façade.

Others have expressed concern about how the international community might view Nigeria, fearing the country could be perceived as a safe haven or trading hub for drug traffickers.

Prominent Nigerians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, civil society organisations, and political parties, have all condemned the decision, warning that it could have serious consequences for the country.

In a statement issued by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the president’s decision undermines Nigeria’s anti-drug campaign, encourages criminality, and further damages the nation’s global reputation.

The party described Tinubu’s use of the prerogative of mercy for those serving prison terms for drug-related offences as an abuse of the constitutional privilege, especially as most of the beneficiaries had served less than two years.

Labelling the decision as pathetic and a “national disgrace”, the ADC noted that officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security agencies had risked their lives to prosecute and secure convictions against drug offenders.

It added that granting clemency to such convicts was a mockery of the sacrifices made by these officers in the battle against narcotics and illicit drugs.

“According to official media statements, it appears that all it takes to get presidential clemency for even the worst of crimes in Nigeria, including drug trafficking, gun running and murderers, is to show remorse and learn skills.

"Pardons and clemency are granted for their social utility and to correct perceived miscarriages of justice and to convicts who have paid their debts to society. But we wonder what Nigeria stands to benefit from this act of clemency to convicts serving life sentences who have barely served two years.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Nigeria is still regarded as a major transit point for illicit drugs, while we face a serious national pandemic of drug use, especially among our youths. Several reports have it that Nigeria’s drug use stands at an estimated 14.4 percent, almost three times the global average of 5.5 percent.

“For years, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security agencies have risked their lives and limbs to combat this problem, dismantle illicit drug networks, intercept consignments, prosecute offenders and secure convictions.

“The men and women in these agencies have laboured under enormous risk and pressure to protect the public from the scourge of addiction, trafficking and related crimes that carry some of the harshest penalties in Nigerian law, precisely because of their devastating impact on public health, youth development and national security.

“Granting clemency to individuals convicted under such laws, therefore, strikes at the very foundation of Nigeria’s legal and moral stance against narcotics and makes a mockery of the gallant efforts of officers fighting the battle against narcotics and illicit drugs,” the party said.

On the international implications of the decision, the party added: “These pardons also send reverberations beyond Nigeria’s borders.

“They undercut our standing among global partners in the fight against drug trafficking and give the unfortunate impression to the rest of the world that our country, under President Tinubu, has particular sympathy for drug dealers and that Nigeria is a risk-free jurisdiction for traffickers in narcotics.

“Make no mistakes: with this mass clemency for drug dealers, President Tinubu and the APC are redefining the standard of morality in our country. They are gradually transforming Nigeria into a country where anything goes; a country where even the worst of crimes attract no punishment beyond a few months of inconvenience for the criminal to show remorse.”

Similarly, in a post shared on his social media pages, Atiku Abubakar described the president’s action as reckless and one that encourages criminal behaviour, saying it has unsurprisingly provoked outrage nationwide.

He explained that the power of presidential pardon is meant to be a solemn prerogative — a moral and constitutional tool that balances justice with mercy and demonstrates the humanity of the state. When applied properly, he said, it elevates justice and strengthens public confidence in governance.

“Regrettably, the latest pardon issued by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite. 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 lamented.

Atiku further stated that at a time when Nigeria is grappling with 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.

“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.

“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.”

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said it was unsurprising that the current administration continues to exhibit tolerance for individuals with criminal backgrounds.

He argued that “A presidential pardon is meant to symbolise restitution and moral reform. Instead, 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.

“Clemency must never be confused with complicity. When a government begins to absolve offenders from 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.”

However, according to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, the president’s decision was not an act of compassion but a reunion among “people of like minds”.

Writing on his Twitter handle, he said, “For a president once accused of forfeiting $460,000 to the US authorities in a drug-linked investigation, pardoning drug dealers feels less like compassion and more like a class reunion of cartel alumni association.”

Even some presidential aides criticised the action.

The Special Adviser on Policy Communication in the South East to the President, Josef Onoh, urged President Tinubu to revoke the pardons, particularly those granted to Maryam Sanda, convicted of murdering her husband, and other drug traffickers.

In a statement, he said, “It is morally wrong to extend mercy to such offenders. It is a rape of justice that is capable of damaging Nigeria’s international reputation.”

Onoh stated that the decision contradicted the principle of the rule of law as outlined in the 1999 Constitution and in international standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“This act, while constitutionally permissible, contravenes the moral imperatives of retributive justice and restorative equity.

“It inflicts psychological trauma on victims’ families, perpetuates systemic injustice and erodes the deterrence mechanisms essential for societal stability,” he stated.

He added that pardoning Sanda devalues human life and weakens accountability, while granting clemency to drug traffickers represents a moral failure that normalises harm to society’s most vulnerable.

“Nationally, this portrays Nigeria as a haven for impunity and deters foreign investment in a country already battling reputational deficits from corruption.

“Internationally, it undermines Nigeria’s credibility with institutions like the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which has commended the country’s anti-narcotics efforts,” he stated.