L-R: Atiku Abubakar and Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Source: Africa Publicity
Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has come under fire for pardoning 70 drug lords.
Since his recent pardon of 175 people, among them kidnappers and murderers, the Nigerian leader has faced serious public backlash.
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, condemned Tinubu for granting the presidential pardon to 70 drug lords.
According to Atiku, Tinubu’s recent presidential pardon has not only undermined justice but also emboldened criminality in Nigeria.
In a statement he personally signed, Atiku says, ”Ordinarily, the power of presidential pardon is a solemn prerogative, a moral and constitutional instrument designed to temper justice with mercy and to underscore the humanity of the state. When properly exercised, it elevates justice and strengthens public faith in governance.”
He noted that “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.”
According to Atiku, at a time when Nigeria has continued to reel under the weight of 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.
He noted that ”Particularly worrisome is the revelation that 29.2% per cent 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.”
Atiku added that ”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.”
He stated that “It is, therefore, no surprise that this administration continues to demonstrate a worrying tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise.”
On its part, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) condemned the decision to grant presidential pardons to the drug traffickers and smugglers.
ADC described the pardon as a national disgrace and move that encouraged crimes.
Meanwhile, lawyer and former Member of the Nigerian Senate, Dino Melaye, wrote on social media that the “pardon granted 70 drug lords by President Tinubu is unprecedented in history.”
He says “checks have revealed that it has never happened in the history of the world. My advice to the President is to scrap the NDLEA. His action has made a beautiful nonsensical of all the efforts of the agency since inception.”
