Tinubu’s Pardon Reversal Sparks Outrage from Atiku’s Aide, Phrank Shaibu

The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over what he described as a “reactionary” and “embarrassing” U-turn on the presidential pardon earlier granted to convicted drug traffickers, kidnappers, and other serious offenders.

In a statement issued yesterday, Shaibu accused the Tinubu administration of acting without foresight and moral conviction, claiming the revocation only occurred after widespread public outrage.

“Once again, Nigerians have witnessed a government that doesn’t lead — it reacts. President Tinubu has cancelled his own pardon for drug traffickers, kidnappers and other hardened criminals, but only after Nigerians shouted loud enough to wake him from his moral slumber,” Shaibu said.

He further described the decision as “an act of shame, not wisdom,” and questioned the process that produced the controversial list of beneficiaries.

Shaibu demanded transparency, asking who compiled the list, what criteria justified the release of convicted offenders, and what role the Attorney-General of the Federation played in the process.

“This pattern has become too familiar — announce the unthinkable, watch the country erupt, then hurriedly reverse course as if governance is a game of trial and error,” he said.

According to him, a presidential pardon “is not a social experiment” but a constitutional responsibility that must reflect justice, mercy, and the national interest.

The Atiku aide also challenged the government to publish the names and offences of those initially selected for clemency, insisting that only full disclosure would restore public confidence.

“If the President truly means well, let him publish the list of all those who were meant to benefit from this scandal. Until then, this cancellation is nothing but damage control — too little, too late,” Shaibu added.

He concluded that the episode reflects what he called the administration’s “governance without foresight, without empathy, and without shame.”

Opinion Nigeria News