The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sharply criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to grant presidential pardons to several convicted drug traffickers and smugglers, describing the move as “a national disgrace” that undermines Nigeria’s anti-narcotics efforts and rewards criminal behavior.
In a strongly worded statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the president of abusing his prerogative of mercy by freeing convicts serving sentences for serious crimes, some of whom had spent less than two years in prison. Abdullahi said the decision trivializes the fight against drugs and insults the sacrifices of law enforcement agencies that have battled traffickers at great personal risk.
“It is pathetic and shameful that this administration considers drug offenders ‘rehabilitated’ simply because they learned vocational skills,” the party said. “Presidential clemency should correct injustices, not free those whose actions endanger millions of Nigerians.”
The ADC noted that Nigeria already faces a drug-use crisis, with 14.4% of the population affected—nearly three times the global average of 5.5%. The decision, the party warned, undermines both local enforcement efforts and the nation’s credibility among international partners in the global anti-drug campaign.
“These pardons send a dangerous message,” the statement continued. “They portray Nigeria as soft on crime and cast doubt on our government’s moral and legal resolve.” Abdullahi added that the act reflects “the APC’s growing moral decay and disregard for accountability,” vowing that the ADC will continue mobilizing Nigerians to end what it calls the ruling party’s era of impunity.
“The mission of the African Democratic Congress is clear—to rescue Nigeria from a government that values power over principle and propaganda over justice,” the statement concluded.
