Olayiwola Matthew
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to amend the controversial pardon list, saying the move reflects strength and accountability rather than weakness.
On Wednesday, President Tinubu ordered that individuals convicted for serious offences such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal possession of firearms be removed from the federal government’s pardon and clemency list.
Earlier, on October 11, Tinubu had approved pardons and other forms of clemency for 175 persons after the council of state endorsed the move. Among those initially pardoned was Maryam Sanda, who had been sentenced to death for killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello.
However, amid public uproar over her inclusion, Tinubu reversed the decision and reduced Sanda’s sentence to 12 years’ imprisonment instead of granting her full pardon.
Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise TV programme, Onanuga said Nigerians should understand that the president is capable of making mistakes but also willing to correct them in the interest of the public.
He explained that Tinubu pays close attention to public opinion and media reports and is not afraid to reconsider decisions when necessary.
“What Nigerians ought to have seen now is that this president is not one that is afraid to reverse himself if he feels like he’s made some error,” he said. “He’s a human being. He can make mistakes. He listens to the public. This is a president who wakes up in the morning to read all Nigerian newspapers and to watch the TV and knows what’s going on.”
Onanuga stressed that the president’s readiness to reassess decisions shows decisiveness, not indecision.
“It’s a matter of strength for you to do something, appraise it and make some adjustments,” he added.
Addressing the backlash surrounding Sanda’s case, Onanuga acknowledged that most of the public criticism stemmed from her inclusion, but pointed out that even after the review, some drug-related offenders still benefited from clemency.
“Most of the criticisms were coming from the case of Maryam Sanda, whom the court found guilty and sentenced to death for killing her husband,” he said. “As to whether the president freed drug convicts, even the second list contains some drug offenders who were also given clemency.”