APC Chieftain, Blasts Tinubu on Clemency, Calls for Scrapping of EFCC, NDLEA, and ICPC

A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has delivered a scathing condemnation of President Bola Tinubu’s recent presidential pardon, stating that the action has brought “shame and reproach” to the ruling party and has fundamentally destroyed its chances of winning future elections.

The controversial statement by Eze goes further, demanding the total scrapping of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Dependable NG reports that Eze believes these anti-graft and law enforcement agencies have lost all credibility due to political interferences, asserting that President Tinubu’s clemency, particularly to drug convicts, has completely eroded public confidence in statutory institutions.

The APC chieftain was unequivocal in his criticism, saying that as long as he remains a member of the ruling party, it must be stated categorically that Tinubu, by his action, has caused the APC not to be electable in any future election in Nigeria. He suggested that an APC victory in 2027 would signal that Nigerians approve of a regime that “legitimizes illegality as a political strategy.”

The decision to grant pardon to 175 persons on October 11, 2025, included 41 illegal miners, 28 drug traffickers, and 22 murderers, according to a statement from the Presidency’s Special Adviser on Media, Bayo Onanuga. The list also featured historical figures like Herbert Macaulay and Major General Mamman Vatsa, alongside white-collar convicts and former House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan.

Eze described the President’s action as inexcusable and unwise, arguing that it has rendered the work of the NDLEA, EFCC, and ICPC ineffective. He lamented that all the efforts and public funds deployed to convict these criminals have gone “down the drain” simply because the President chose to show prerogative to some of these individuals.

He warned that the release of these individuals, whom he refers to as “criminals,” is uncalled for and will likely see them return to their criminal acts, further stating that the Police and Judges who secured their convictions are now “endangered species.”

The chieftain joined other prominent voices, including the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in condemning the clemency.

Finally, Eze counselled Mr. President to “formally apologize to Nigerians for this blunder” and to retrieve and review the list of pardonees as a matter of urgency to avoid sending a wrong signal to the public. He also recommended that the Ogoni Nine should be granted full exoneration, rather than merely a pardon, to do justice to their legacy.