ADC Slams Tinubu’s Pardon of Drug Traffickers, Calls it “National Disgrace”

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a fierce critique of President Bola Tinubu’s recent grant of presidential clemency to several convicted drug traffickers and smugglers. 

In a statement released on Sunday, the party described the action as “pathetic and a national disgrace.”

Signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC characterized the decision as “a most irresponsible abuse of the presidential power of mercy.”

The party specifically noted that pardons were granted to individuals convicted of serious crimes like drug trafficking, many of whom have “barely served two years in jail for offences that carry a penalty of life imprisonment.”

The ADC argued that the government is signaling that “all it takes to get presidential clemency for even the worst of crimes… is to ‘show remorse and learn skills.’”

The ADC stressed that this clemency “strikes at the very foundation of Nigeria’s legal and moral stance against narcotics” and “makes a mockery of the gallant efforts” of agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), whose personnel have risked their lives fighting drug crimes.

Furthermore, the party warned that the pardons damage Nigeria’s global reputation, arguing they “undercut our standing among global partners” and risk making the country appear as a “risk-free jurisdiction for traffickers in narcotics.”

The ADC concluded by accusing President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of “redefining the standard of morality” and “gradually transforming the country into a place where even the worst of crimes attract no punishment.” 

The party reiterated its commitment to “rescue our country” from the ruling APC.