Presidential Pardon for Drug Traffickers is National Disgrace — ADC Blasts Tinubu

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to grant presidential pardons to several convicted drug traffickers and smugglers, labeling the move as “pathetic and a national disgrace.”

Dependable NG reports that the opposition party’s strong condemnation was contained in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi. Dependable NG reports that Abdullahi described the President’s decision as “a most irresponsible abuse of the presidential power of mercy.”

The ADC specifically criticized the pardon recipients, noting they were convicted of serious crimes such as drug trafficking and smuggling, with many having “barely served two years in jail for offences that carry a penalty of life imprisonment.”

The party accused the government of setting a dangerous precedent, suggesting that the clemency sends a signal to both the public and the international community 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.’”

The ADC stressed that such clemency “strikes at the very foundation of Nigeria’s legal and moral stance against narcotics” and effectively “makes a mockery of the gallant efforts” of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security agencies who have “risked life and limb” to combat drug crimes.

Furthermore, the opposition warned that the pardons could severely damage Nigeria’s global reputation, stating that they “undercut our standing among global partners in the fight against drug trafficking” and make the country appear “a risk-free jurisdiction for traffickers in narcotics.” The ADC concluded by accusing President Tinubu and the ruling APC of “redefining the standard of morality” and “gradually transforming the country into a place where even the worst of crimes attract no punishment.”