Tinubu’s Presidential Pardon Encourages Criminality, Erodes Justice – Atiku
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the recent presidential pardon granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as a reckless and morally questionable act that emboldens criminality and undermines public trust in Nigeria’s justice system.
In a statement released on his social media platforms on Sunday, Atiku said the decision to grant clemency to individuals convicted of serious offences, including drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption, has “provoked outrage across the nation.”
He explained that the power of presidential pardon is meant to serve as a moral and constitutional tool to temper justice with mercy, not to reward those who have gravely undermined national security and integrity.
“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,” Atiku said. “When properly exercised, it elevates justice and strengthens public faith in governance. Regrettably, the latest pardon issued by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite.”
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, expressed deep concern that the clemency extended to convicted offenders sends a “dangerous signal” to citizens and the international community about the values the Tinubu administration upholds.
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He criticized the government for showing leniency towards criminals at a time when Nigeria is grappling with heightened insecurity, moral decay, and an alarming rise in drug-related crimes.
“It is both shocking and indefensible that the presidency would prioritize clemency for those whose actions have directly undermined national stability and social order,” he said, adding that 29.2 percent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related crimes — an alarming statistic given the current surge in narcotics abuse among Nigerian youths.
Atiku further noted the irony of the clemency decision, referencing President Tinubu’s own controversial past involving the forfeiture of funds to the U.S. government in connection with drug-related investigations.
He argued that the pardon “makes a mockery of the criminal justice system, affronts victims, demoralizes law enforcement officers, and inflicts grave injury on the conscience of the nation.”
“Clemency must never be confused with complicity,” Atiku declared. “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.”
The opposition leader concluded by calling for a leadership that prioritizes justice and accountability over political patronage, warning that Nigeria’s fight against corruption and insecurity risks collapse if the sanctity of justice continues to be compromised.
“Nigeria deserves a leadership that upholds justice, not one that trivializes it,” he said.
By PRNigeria
