Former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan, has expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for granting him a presidential pardon, saying the gesture has “renewed” his hope and restored his faith in active citizenship.
Naijaonpoint reports that Lawan was among the 175 beneficiaries of the presidential prerogative of mercy approved by the Council of State on Thursday.
Other high-profile names include nationalist Herbert Macaulay and former FCT Minister, Maj.-Gen. Mamman Vatsa (retd.), executed in 1986 under the Ibrahim Babangida regime.
In a statement released via his Facebook page late Thursday, Lawan described Tinubu as “fatherly, compassionate, and decisive.”
He wrote, “To a fatherly, compassionate, and decisive political leader, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, God and history shall remember you.
“Mr President has cast a warm blanket over me, pulling me back from the harshness of yesterday’s cold. I lie prostrate, utterly humble in my heart and entire being, grateful for the mercy which Allah (SWT), through Mr President and my country, have shown me.”
From Scandal To Conviction
Lawan, who represented Bagwai/Shanono constituency in Kano State, was a prominent figure in the 2012 fuel subsidy scandal.
He was accused of demanding a $3m bribe from billionaire businessman Femi Otedola to delist Zenon Petroleum from the list of companies indicted for subsidy fraud.
Video evidence showing him collecting bundles of cash sparked nationwide outrage. He was later prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
In June 2021, an Abuja High Court convicted him on three counts and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment. The Court of Appeal later reduced the sentence to five years in 2022, a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court in January 2024. He was eventually released in October 2024 after serving his term.
Reflecting on his ordeal, Lawan acknowledged his conviction but said his faith in Nigeria never wavered.
Lawan said, “During the eclipse at noon of my life, a path designed by destiny, a past with which I am fully reconciled, my family, friends and associates stood by me through thick and thin, their light became my singular unfailing beacon.
“Throughout those moments of sober reflection, my faith in the greatness of our Fatherland never wavered, nor did my resolve to contribute to it ever weaken. A re-dedication to the ideals of Nigeria is upon me. My hope is renewed.”
He added that his family, friends and associates in Kano and across Nigeria were “indescribably grateful” to Tinubu for “drafting me back into active citizenship with its unavoidable service imperative.”
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