Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu for reversing the presidential pardon earlier granted to individuals convicted of drug trafficking, kidnapping, and other serious crimes.
On Wednesday, President Tinubu ordered the removal of convicted kidnappers, drug traffickers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and those convicted for unlawful possession of firearms from the list of beneficiaries of the federal government’s prerogative of mercy.
Reacting to the development, Abubakar said the reversal came only after public outrage, describing it as “too little, too late.”
In a statement issued by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president said the move was not an act of leadership but “an act of shame.”
“President Bola Tinubu has ‘cancelled’ his own pardon for drug traffickers, kidnappers, and other hardened criminals — but only after Nigerians shouted loud enough to wake him from his moral slumber,” the statement reads.
Abubakar argued that the controversy raises critical questions about accountability and governance under the Tinubu administration.
“If the public had kept quiet, would convicted drug lords and kidnappers be walking free today under the President’s blessing?” he asked.
He also questioned those responsible for compiling the initial list of beneficiaries and demanded that the attorney-general explain the rationale behind what he termed a “national embarrassment.”
Abubakar accused the administration of repeatedly making hasty policy decisions that are only reversed after public criticism.
“This pattern has become too familiar — announce the unthinkable, watch the country erupt, then hurriedly reverse course as if governance is a game of ‘trial and error’,” he said.
He further noted that the presidential pardon is a “sacred constitutional power meant to reflect justice, mercy, and national interest — not to reward impunity or test public patience.”
The PDP chieftain urged the president to publish the list of intended beneficiaries, saying Nigerians deserve to know “the names, the crimes, and the hands that signed off on this reckless indulgence.”
He concluded that the last-minute cancellation of the pardon “is nothing but damage control” and does not absolve the presidency of poor judgment.
Background:
On October 9, President Tinubu approved presidential pardons for 175 persons, including nationalists like Herbert Macaulay, former lawmaker Farouk Lawan, and Major General Mamman Vatsa, who was executed in 1986 over alleged treason.
Also on the initial list was Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death in 2017 for killing her husband. Other beneficiaries reportedly included drug offenders, illegal miners, and white-collar criminals, sparking widespread backlash.
Following public outrage, Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi announced that the list would undergo a comprehensive review, acknowledging that multiple stages were involved in the process.