Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the recent presidential pardons granted to individuals convicted of serious offences, describing it as reckless and a mockery of justice.
In a statement shared on X on Sunday titled “Tinubu’s Reckless Use of Presidential Pardon Undermines Justice and Emboldens Criminality,” Atiku said the decision to free corruption convicts and other offenders “diminishes the sanctity of justice” and weakens public confidence in governance.
“The power of presidential pardon is a moral and constitutional instrument designed to temper justice with mercy,” Atiku said. “Regrettably, the latest pardon issued by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite.”
Recall Dockaysworld reported that President Tinubu had granted pardons to 175 persons recently, causing widespread reactions.
He accused the president of extending clemency to individuals convicted of corruption, kidnapping, murder, and drug trafficking, warning that such actions erode the moral authority of leadership and embolden lawlessness.
“At a time when Nigeria continues to reel under the weight of insecurity, moral decay, and corruption, 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 added.
Atiku described the move as “a grave injury to the conscience of the nation,” insisting that clemency should not be used to reward impunity.
“A presidential pardon is meant to symbolize restitution and moral reform. Instead, what we have witnessed is an affront to victims and a demoralization of law enforcement,” he said.
He concluded that Nigeria deserves a leadership that upholds justice, not one that trivializes it.
One of the pardons that has caused an uproar on social media is that of Maryam Sanda who murdered her husband and was sentenced to death for it.
