ADC Slams Tinubu Over Clemency For Drug Traffickers, Says Move Undermines Nigeria’s Anti-Narcotics War

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent decision to grant presidential pardons to dozens of convicted drug traffickers and smugglers, describing it as a “national disgrace” that undermines Nigeria’s anti-narcotics campaign and emboldens criminality across the country.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused President Tinubu of abusing the presidential prerogative of mercy by freeing convicts serving sentences for serious drug-related offences—many of whom, the party said, had spent less than two years in prison for crimes that attract life imprisonment.

> “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) finds as pathetic and an act of immense national disgrace the recent presidential pardon and clemency granted to several convicted criminals by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Abdullahi said.

“It amounts to a most irresponsible abuse of the presidential power of prerogative of mercy to grant express pardon to dozens of convicts held for drug trafficking, smuggling, and related offences, especially when most of these convicts have barely served two years in jail for offences that carry life sentences.”

‘Tinubu Rewarding Crime Under the Guise of Clemency’

The ADC faulted the Federal Government’s justification that the beneficiaries of the presidential pardon had been “rehabilitated” and “shown remorse” after learning vocational skills in prison.

> “According to official statements, it now seems that all it takes to get presidential clemency for even the worst of crimes in Nigeria, including drug trafficking, gun-running, and murder, is to ‘show remorse and learn skills,’” the ADC spokesperson said.

“This is a dangerous mockery of justice and a signal that crime pays under the current administration.”

Abdullahi explained that the purpose of clemency was to correct judicial errors or acknowledge genuine reform, not to free dangerous offenders whose actions continue to wreck lives and destroy families across Nigeria.

‘Nigeria Still a Drug Hotspot’

The party noted that the decision to release convicted traffickers was particularly disturbing given Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with widespread substance abuse and its status as a major transit hub in the global narcotics trade.

> “Nigeria’s drug use prevalence stands at about 14.4%, almost three times the global average of 5.5%. It is, therefore, shocking that at a time when our youths are under siege from drug addiction, the Tinubu administration is granting clemency to those who profit from their misery,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC lamented that the decision dishonours the sacrifices of security and anti-drug enforcement officers who have risked their lives in the fight against narcotics trafficking.

> “The men and women of NDLEA, Customs, and other agencies have worked under dangerous conditions to protect Nigeria from this scourge. Granting clemency to traffickers makes a mockery of their sacrifices and undermines the moral foundation of our anti-drug war.”

The opposition party further warned that the controversial pardons could erode Nigeria’s credibility with international partners in the global fight against illicit drugs.

> “These pardons send a dangerous message to our global partners—that under President Tinubu, Nigeria is now soft on drug crimes. It weakens our cooperation with global agencies and damages the country’s reputation before the international community,” the ADC warned.

The ADC accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of moral decay and disregard for the rule of law, saying the mass release of convicted traffickers reflected the ruling party’s growing detachment from the values of justice and accountability.

> “With this mass clemency for drug dealers, President Tinubu and the APC have redefined morality. They are turning Nigeria into a country where even the worst of crimes attract no punishment beyond a few months of inconvenience,” Abdullahi stated.

Reaffirming its commitment to restoring ethical leadership, the ADC vowed to continue mobilising Nigerians against what it described as the APC’s reign of impunity and lawlessness.

> “Our mission remains clear—to rescue Nigeria from a ruling party that places impunity above justice, self-interest above national interest, and political convenience above morality,” the statement added.