President Bola Tinubu has come under intense criticism from opposition parties and political figures, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, following his decision to grant presidential pardons to dozens of convicted criminals, among them drug traffickers. The move has been described as a major setback to Nigeria’s anti-drug efforts and a blow to justice and morality.

On Saturday, the Presidency released a list of 175 individuals granted the 2025 presidential pardon. Among those named were the late nationalist Herbert Macaulay, the late Major General Mamman Vatsa, and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband.

The list also included over 30 convicted drug offenders and several others imprisoned for homicide, fraud, and illegal mining — a decision that has ignited widespread debate and condemnation across the country.

In a statement on Sunday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi described the action as “pathetic and a national disgrace,” saying it undermines Nigeria’s anti-drug war, encourages criminal behavior, and damages the nation’s global reputation.

“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 is a gross abuse of the presidential power of mercy to pardon convicts held for drug trafficking, smuggling, and related offences—especially when many have served barely two years in prison for crimes that attract life sentences.”

The party warned that the decision sends a dangerous signal that mere remorse and minimal rehabilitation can now justify release, even for serious crimes.

“From official statements, it appears that all it takes to obtain presidential clemency for grave offences such as drug trafficking, gun running, and murder is to show remorse and acquire skills,” ADC added.

It emphasized that the purpose of pardon and clemency is to address miscarriages of justice and reintegrate reformed individuals who have truly paid their debt to society, not to excuse dangerous offenders.

“We wonder what Nigeria stands to gain from granting clemency to convicts serving life sentences who have barely served two years. For years, NDLEA officers have risked their lives to fight drug crime,” the statement continued. “Freeing offenders convicted under such laws undermines their sacrifices and portrays Nigeria, under President Tinubu, as lenient toward drug dealers and a haven for traffickers.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also criticized the move, describing it as one that has “rightly provoked nationwide outrage.”

Atiku stated that while the presidential power of mercy should balance justice with compassion, its misuse weakens trust in the rule of law.

“Unfortunately, the recent pardon by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite,” he said. “Extending clemency to individuals convicted of grave crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption undermines the sanctity of justice and sends a disturbing signal to both citizens and the international community.”

He described the decision as “shocking and indefensible,” particularly at a time when Nigeria is battling insecurity, moral decline, and rising drug-related crimes.

“What is especially troubling,” he noted, “is that 29.2 percent of those pardoned were convicted for drug offences, even as our youth face the devastating impact of narcotics and our country struggles with the stigma of drug-related crimes.”

In a pointed remark, Atiku said the pardon exposes “moral irony,” referring to long-standing questions surrounding Tinubu’s alleged involvement in a U.S. drug-related forfeiture case. He added that “it is therefore unsurprising that this administration continues to show leniency toward individuals associated with criminal enterprise.”

“A presidential pardon should represent repentance and moral renewal,” Atiku said. “Instead, this act ridicules the justice system, offends victims, and demoralizes law enforcement officers.

“Clemency must never be mistaken for complicity. When a government absolves offenders of the very crimes it claims to combat, it loses moral authority and emboldens impunity.”

He urged a comprehensive review of the clemency process to ensure transparency, fairness, and alignment with the public interest, insisting that “Nigeria needs leaders who uphold justice, not those who compromise it.”