In a statement on Sunday, Abubakar said the latest exercise
of clemency by Tinubu “undermines justice and emboldens criminality,” arguing
that it betrays the spirit of the constitutional power it is meant to
represent.

“The recent announcement of a presidential pardon by
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has, as expected, provoked outrage across the
nation,” Abubakar said.

“Ordinarily, the power of presidential pardon is a solemn
prerogative, a moral and constitutional instrument designed to temper justice
with mercy and to underscore the humanity of the state.

“When properly exercised, it elevates justice and
strengthens public faith in governance. Regrettably, the latest pardon issued
by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite.”

He said granting clemency to individuals convicted of
serious crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption
“not only diminishes the sanctity of justice but also sends a dangerous signal
to the public and the international community about the values this government
upholds”.

“At a time when Nigeria continues to reel under the weight
of insecurity, moral decay, and a surge in drug-related offences, it is both
shocking and indefensible that the presidency would prioritise clemency for
those whose actions have directly undermined national stability and social
order,” he added.

The former vice-president said it is “particularly
worrisome” that nearly a third of those pardoned were convicted for
drug-related offences.

“Particularly worrisome is the revelation that 29.2 percent
of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related crimes at a time when our
youth are being destroyed by narcotics, and our nation is still struggling to
cleanse its image from the global stain of drug offences,” he said.

“Even more disturbing is the moral irony that this act of
clemency is coming from a president whose own past remains clouded by
unresolved and unexplained issues relating to the forfeiture of thousands of
dollars to the United States government over drug-related investigations.

“It is, therefore, no surprise that this administration
continues to demonstrate a worrying tolerance for individuals associated with
criminal enterprise.”

According to him, a presidential pardon is meant to
symbolise “restitution and moral reform,” but Tinubu’s action “has become a
mockery of the criminal justice system, an affront to victims, a demoralisation
of law enforcement, and a grave injury to the conscience of the nation.”

“Clemency must never be confused with complicity,” Atiku
said, adding that “when a government begins to absolve offenders of the very
crimes it claims to be fighting, it erodes the moral authority of leadership
and emboldens lawlessness,” the former vice-president.

“Nigeria deserves a leadership that upholds justice, not one
that trivialises it.”

Recently, 175 persons received a presidential pardon
following the approval of the national council of state.

Among the 175 beneficiaries are Herbert Macaulay, one of
Nigeria’s foremost nationalists; Farouk Lawan, a former member of the house of
representatives; Mamman Vatsa, a major general and poet executed in 1986 over
alleged treason; and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for killing her
husband in 2017.

Drug offenders, illegal miners, white-collar convicts, and
foreigners are also among the recipients of the presidential pardon.

In a statement on Saturday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to
the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu granted clemency to most
of the convicts based on reports that they had shown remorse and good conduct.