A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has called for the scrapping of major anti-crime and anti-drug agencies, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of undermining their relevance through political interference and misplaced pardons.
Naijaonpoint recalls that last week, the Council of State, on Thursday, October 9, 2025, approved the exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 persons across various categories, following a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The meeting, held at the State House in Abuja, considered President Bola Tinubu’s recommendations based on the report of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Members of the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four were also listed among the beneficiaries.
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Information Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had confirmed that 175 persons benefited from the presidential pardon.
Among the list were 41 illegal miners, 28 drug traffickers, and 22 convicted murderers. Notable names included nationalist Herbert Macaulay; former lawmaker Farouk Lawan; Major General Mamman Vatsa, executed in 1986 for alleged treason; and Maryam Sanda, sentenced to death for killing her husband in 2017.
The list also featured several white-collar convicts, foreigners, and offenders involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining.
However, in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday, October 18, Eze faulted the President for such a development, describing it as an embarrassment.
He listed the affected agencies as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to him, the recent presidential pardon granted to several drug traffickers and convicts has eroded public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system and rendered the institutions “worthless.”
Eze, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the development, insisting that Tinubu’s action had brought “shame and reproach” to the ruling party.
“As long as I remain a member of the APC, it must be said categorically that Tinubu, by his action, has brought shame and reproach to the party,” he stated.
The former party spokesman said no reasonable Nigerian would again vote for the APC, arguing that the President’s decision has made the ruling party “unelectable in any election in this country.”
Pardon Has Killed Institutional Credibility – Eze Insisted
Eze said institutions like the NDLEA, EFCC, and ICPC have become irrelevant and worthless.
“All the efforts and public resources deployed to convict some of these hardened criminals have gone down the drain simply because the President wanted to show prerogative to some of these criminals.”
He described Tinubu’s decision as “inexcusable and unwise,” warning that the release of convicted offenders poses a new threat to national security.
“The release of some of these criminals who will go back to revive their criminal acts is uncalled for. Both the Police and Judges that sentenced and convicted them are now endangered species,” he added.
Commenting on the inclusion of the late Ogoni Nine in the list, Eze said they deserved “full exoneration, not mercy,” arguing that clemency “does not do justice to their legacy.”
He urged the President to heed calls from human rights lawyer Femi Falana and “retrieve and review the list of pardonees” to avoid sending “a wrong signal” to Nigerians.
“The President should formally apologise to Nigerians for this blunder,” Eze said.
Eze’s position aligns with sentiments expressed by prominent Nigerians, including the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, who remarked, “If the President can pardon drug convicts, then there’s no need for NDLEA. No need to arrest thieves or punish anyone again.”
Similarly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the clemency as a betrayal of the fight against corruption and crime.
Eze concluded that APC’s return to power in 2027 “would mean Nigerians approve of a regime that legitimises illegality as a political strategy to sustain its odious reign beyond 2027.”
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