The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp over its criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s reversal of the recent presidential pardon granted to certain convicted offenders.
Responding to comments by Atiku’s aide, Phrank Shaibu, who had described the move as “reactionary” and “embarrassing”, the APC accused the opposition of “weaponising ignorance” and deliberately misrepresenting the president’s leadership style.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, the Lagos APC said Atiku’s team had once again displayed frustration and political bitterness, insisting that Tinubu’s leadership was guided by law and due process rather than emotion.
“Unlike the impulsive and uninformed commentary that has become the trademark of the opposition, President Tinubu’s decisions are driven by due process, rule of law, and national interest. In advanced democracies, informed review and reconsideration are marks of credible leadership and institutional maturity – not weakness,” Oladejo said.
He accused Atiku of being out of touch with the realities of modern governance, saying the former vice president and his handlers misread governance dynamics.
“Atiku clearly needs refresher courses in modern governance. The political world has evolved. Nigeria has evolved. Public administration has evolved. Unfortunately, Atiku has not. His thoughts remain trapped in a bygone political era – outdated, unimaginative, and disconnected from today’s realities. His ideas are as stale as the repeated electoral losses that have now become his identity,” the statement added.
The APC spokesman further described Atiku’s political record as “tarnished”, arguing that the former vice president was in no moral position to question Tinubu’s integrity or leadership.
“It is the height of irony that a candidate whose career has been defined by endless defections, internal party sabotage, and judicial tourism is attempting to lecture President Tinubu on leadership or integrity,” Oladejo said.
He urged Nigerians to disregard the comment from Atiku’s camp, insisting that President Tinubu would continue to lead with constitutional discipline.
Earlier, Atiku’s aide, Shaibu, had lambasted the Tinubu administration over the reversal of the presidential pardon.
He accused the President of lacking foresight and moral conviction, alleging that the reversal only came after 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 also demanded that the government publish the names of those who were initially set to benefit from the pardon, arguing that transparency was the only way to restore public trust.
“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 stated.
The controversy over the presidential pardon has triggered sharp political exchanges between the ruling party and the opposition, with both sides accusing each other of insincerity and poor judgment in matters of governance.
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