Farouk Lawan: Prison Experience Showed Me My True Political Allies

Former lawmaker Farouk Lawan, recently pardoned by President Bola Tinubu, says his time in prison taught him valuable lessons about life, destiny, and who his real political allies are.

Lawan, who once represented Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency in Kano State, was among 175 persons granted presidential pardon on October 9, 2025, following the Council of State’s recommendation.

The former House of Representatives member was convicted in 2021 for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes in 2012 to remove a company from the list of firms indicted in Nigeria’s fuel subsidy scandal. He was sentenced to seven years in prison by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, monitored in Kaduna on Tuesday, Lawan expressed gratitude to God and President Tinubu for the pardon, describing it as “a new beginning.”

“When someone goes through a trial and Allah grants a chance for pardon, you must be thankful. My family and well-wishers across the world were all filled with joy when the news broke,” he said.

He added,

“It was indeed a day of thanksgiving to Allah, for He made it possible, and to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for doing what is right, something worthy of commendation.”

Reflecting on his incarceration, Lawan said he had found peace in accepting his fate.

“Before I even got to prison, my mind was at peace. I knew that wherever I was going, I would meet people, and if others could survive there, I too could live through it,” he stated.

After his release in 2024, the former lawmaker said he took time to reassess his political direction, parting ways with the Kwankwasiyya movement, a group he had long been associated with.

Though he was a PDP member at the time of his conviction, Lawan later directed his supporters to join the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“When Allah allows you to face trials, He also opens your eyes to see who your true allies are and who are not. When you’re in a place like prison, you have enough time to reflect deeply on your relationships,” he said.

Lawan disclosed that despite his long association with the Kwankwasiyya movement, one of its top figures never reached out to him even after his release.

“It’s been a year now, and not even a phone call from him — not to say ‘thank you Allah you’re out,’ or offer a prayer for me,” he lamented.

While clarifying that he no longer identifies politically with the movement, Lawan said he still holds Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in high regard.

The ex-lawmaker concluded that he now intends to work with a political party with broader national appeal, hinting at a possible alignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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