By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a total of 175 pardons, marking one of the most sweeping acts of clemency in Nigeria’s democratic history. The decision, announced after Thursday’s National Council of State meeting in Abuja, includes posthumous pardons for nationalist Herbert Macaulay and former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Major General Mamman Vatsa (retd), who was executed in 1986 for alleged treason.
The gesture has drawn wide public attention, not only for its symbolic significance but also for the timing, as the administration continues to project an image of national reconciliation and justice reform. While Macaulay’s inclusion revisits Nigeria’s colonial past, Vatsa’s case touches on one of the most controversial military trials of the Babangida era.
Macaulay, often celebrated as the father of Nigerian nationalism, was twice convicted by British colonial authorities, including a 1913 trial over alleged misappropriation of estate funds a case historians believe was politically motivated. His pardon, more than a century later, restores his legacy among Nigeria’s revered patriots.
Equally symbolic was the government’s decision to grant posthumous pardon to the “Ogoni Nine” Ken Saro-Wiwa, Baribor Bera, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Barinem Kiobel, Saturday Dobee, and John Kpuine nearly 30 years after their execution under General Sani Abacha’s military regime. In addition, Tinubu conferred national honours on the “Ogoni Four”: Chief Albert Badey, Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage.
The President also extended mercy to several high-profile convicts, including former lawmaker Farouk Lawan, and three others Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Barr. Hussaini Umar, and Ayinla Saadu Alanamu said to have shown “sufficient remorse” and readiness for reintegration into society. Others who benefited from the clemency include Nweke Francis Chibueze, convicted for drug offences, and Dr. Nwogu Peters, who served 12 years of a 17-year fraud sentence.
Beyond the symbolic pardons, Tinubu’s exercise of constitutional mercy covered 82 inmates who were freed, 65 whose sentences were reduced, and seven whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. The action followed recommendations by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM), chaired by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The 12-member committee, inaugurated in January 2025 by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, was tasked with balancing rehabilitation with justice. Members included Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi, Prof. Alkasum Abba, Prof. (Mrs.) Nike Sidikat Ijaiya, Justice Augustine Utsaha, and Dr. Onwusoro Maduka as Secretary, alongside representatives from the police, correctional service, human rights commission, and religious councils.
According to the committee’s report, 175 inmates were interviewed and 62 applications were received on behalf of 119 others, making a total of 294 cases reviewed. Eighty-two inmates were recommended for clemency, two for pardon, sixty-five for sentence reduction, and seven on death row for commutation to life imprisonment. Fifteen ex-convicts including the deceased Ogoni Nine were proposed for posthumous pardon and national recognition.
The selection criteria, the report stated, prioritized old age (60 years and above), terminal illness, juvenile offenders, and long-term inmates with outstanding conduct or vocational achievements. It also considered deported Nigerian prisoners who had served time abroad and demonstrated remorse or reformation.
Analysts, however, have noted that while the move demonstrates political magnanimity, it could reopen debates about selective justice and consistency in Nigeria’s correctional system. Questions are already being raised about whether the pardons signal a genuine justice reform or are driven by political symbolism.
As the dust settles, Tinubu’s decision is being interpreted as both a nod to Nigeria’s painful past and a step toward healing historical wounds. Whether this sweeping gesture translates into deeper reforms in the justice system remains to be seen but for now, the President has undeniably rewritten a significant chapter in Nigeria’s justice history.