Opposition parties and political figures, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to grant presidential pardons to dozens of convicted criminals, including drug traffickers.
They described the move as a grave setback to Nigeria’s anti-drug campaign and a dangerous affront to justice and morality.
The Presidency on Saturday released a detailed list of 175 individuals granted the 2025 presidential pardon. Among those listed were the late nationalist Herbert Macaulay, the late Major General Mamman Vatsa, and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for killing her husband.
The pardon, which also included presidential clemency, covered over 30 convicted drug offenders and several others imprisoned for crimes such as homicide, fraud, and illegal mining. The decision has ignited widespread debate and condemnation across the country.
In a statement on Sunday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the move as “pathetic and a national disgrace,” arguing that it undermines Nigeria’s war against drugs, encourages criminality, and tarnishes the nation’s global image.
“The African Democratic Congress finds as pathetic and an act of immense national disgrace the recent presidential pardon and clemency granted to several convicted criminals by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.
“It amounts to a most irresponsible abuse of the presidential power of prerogative of mercy to grant express pardon to dozens of convicts held for drug trafficking, smuggling, and related offences—especially when most of these convicts have barely served two years in jail for crimes that attract life imprisonment.”
The party further warned that the decision sends a dangerous message that “remorse and token rehabilitation” are now sufficient grounds for freedom, even for serious crimes.
“According to official statements, it appears that all it takes to get presidential clemency for even the worst of crimes in Nigeria—including drug trafficking, gun running, and murder—is to show remorse and learn skills,” ADC stated.
The ADC maintained that the true purpose of pardon and clemency is to correct miscarriages of justice and reintegrate those who have genuinely paid their debt to society—not to excuse dangerous offenders.
“We wonder what Nigeria stands to gain from this act of clemency to convicts serving life sentences who have barely served two years.
For years, NDLEA officers have risked life and limb to combat this problem. Granting clemency to individuals convicted under such laws makes a mockery of their sacrifice and gives the world the impression that Nigeria, under President Tinubu, is sympathetic to drug dealers and a safe haven for traffickers.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also condemned the decision, saying the pardon had “rightly sparked nationwide outrage.”
He noted that while the presidential power of mercy is designed to balance justice with compassion, its misuse weakens public confidence in the rule of law.
“Regrettably, the latest pardon issued by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite,” Atiku said. “Extending clemency to individuals convicted of grave crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption diminishes the sanctity of justice and sends a dangerous signal to both the public and the international community.”
Atiku described the decision as “shocking and indefensible” given Nigeria’s ongoing struggles with insecurity, moral decay, and rising drug-related crimes.
“Particularly worrisome,” he added, “is the revelation that 29.2 per cent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related offences, even as our youth are being destroyed by narcotics and our nation continues to battle the global stigma of drug offences.”
In a pointed remark, Atiku said the pardon reflects “moral irony” given the lingering controversies surrounding Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a U.S. drug-related forfeiture case.
“It is therefore no surprise that this administration continues to show tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise,” he said.
“A presidential pardon should symbolise restitution and moral reform. Instead, what we have witnessed is a mockery of the criminal justice system, an affront to victims, and a demoralisation of law enforcement. Clemency must never be confused with complicity. When a government begins to absolve offenders of the very crimes it claims to be fighting, it erodes moral authority and emboldens lawlessness.”
Atiku called for an urgent review of the clemency process to ensure transparency, fairness, and respect for public interest, insisting that “Nigeria needs leaders who defend justice, not those who undermine it.”