Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over its recent decision to revoke the controversial presidential pardon initially granted to several convicted individuals, including those found guilty of serious crimes such as drug trafficking and kidnapping.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday evening through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the move as another example of the Tinubu administration’s “act-before-thinking” approach to governance.
He accused the government of incompetence, policy recklessness, and lack of coordination, arguing that the abrupt reversal of the pardon exposed the administration’s failure to engage in proper decision-making before implementing sensitive national policies.
“Once again, Nigerians have witnessed a government that doesn’t lead — it reacts,” Atiku said. “This U-turn is not an act of wisdom; it’s an act of shame. If Nigerians had kept quiet, would convicted drug lords and kidnappers be walking free today under the President’s blessing?”
The former Vice President demanded full disclosure on how the initial list of pardon beneficiaries was compiled, calling the entire process “an absurdity” that undermined the integrity of the justice system.
“Who compiled the list? What criteria justified freeing kidnappers and drug offenders? Where was the Attorney-General when this madness was being prepared?” he queried.
Atiku further described the incident as a reflection of what he termed the Tinubu administration’s “trial-and-error approach” to governance.
“This pattern has become too familiar — announce the unthinkable, watch the country erupt, then hurriedly reverse course as if governance is a game of trial and error,” he stated.
He emphasized that the constitutional power of presidential pardon should be exercised with caution and moral clarity, not as a political experiment.
“A presidential pardon is not a social experiment. It is a sacred constitutional power meant to reflect justice, mercy, and national interest — not to reward impunity or test public patience,” Atiku declared.
The former Vice President challenged the federal government to publish the full list of individuals who were originally slated to benefit from the pardon, including the details of their offences and the officials who approved their inclusion.
“If the President truly means well, let him publish the list of all those who were meant to benefit from this scandal. Let Nigerians see the names, the crimes, and the hands that signed off on this reckless indulgence,” he said.
Atiku dismissed the government’s revocation of the pardon as mere “damage control” aimed at mitigating public backlash rather than addressing the root of the controversy.
“Until then, this cancellation is nothing but damage control — too little, too late,” the statement concluded.
The presidency has yet to issue a formal response to Atiku’s remarks as public debate continues over the rationale and transparency of the revoked presidential pardon.