Opposition parties and prominent political figures, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to grant presidential pardons to dozens of convicted criminals, among them several drug traffickers.
They described the move as a major setback to Nigeria’s fight against drugs and a blow to justice and morality.
On Saturday, the Presidency published the names of 175 individuals who benefited from the 2025 presidential pardon. The list included the late nationalist Herbert Macaulay, the late Major General Mamman Vatsa, and Maryam Sanda, who had been sentenced to death for the murder of her husband.
The pardon, which also extended clemency to more than 30 convicted drug offenders and others found guilty of crimes such as homicide, fraud, and illegal mining, has triggered widespread condemnation across the country.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the decision as “pathetic and a national disgrace,” saying it undermines Nigeria’s anti-drug efforts and damages the country’s international 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.
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“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 argued that the decision suggests that “remorse and token rehabilitation” are now enough to earn freedom for serious offenders.
“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 said.
It stressed that the goal of clemency is to correct miscarriages of justice and reintegrate those who have genuinely paid their dues to society, not to excuse hardened criminals.
“For years, NDLEA officers have risked life and limb to combat this problem,” the party said. “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.”
Also reacting, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the decision had “rightly sparked nationwide outrage.”
He explained that while the power of mercy is meant to balance justice with compassion, its misuse erodes public confidence in the justice system.
“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 move as “shocking and indefensible,” especially at a time when the country is battling insecurity, moral decline, and an increase in drug-related offences.
“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 veiled criticism of the President, Atiku said the pardon carried “moral irony,” citing Tinubu’s past link to a U.S. drug-related forfeiture case.
“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 demoralization 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,” he said.
Atiku called for an immediate review of the presidential clemency process to ensure fairness, transparency, and public accountability, stressing that “Nigeria needs leaders who defend justice, not those who undermine it.”
