Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has defended the president’s decision to amend the recent presidential pardon list, describing it as an act of courage and accountability rather than a display of weakness.
On Wednesday, President Tinubu ordered the removal of individuals convicted of serious crimes, including kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession of firearms, from the list of beneficiaries under the federal government’s prerogative of mercy.
Earlier, on October 11, Tinubu had granted presidential pardons and other forms of clemency to 175 individuals following the Council of State’s approval.
Among the initial beneficiaries was Maryam Sanda, who had been sentenced to death for the 2017 murder of her husband, Bilyamin Mohammed Bello.
Following widespread public backlash, the president rescinded Sanda’s full pardon and instead commuted her death sentence to 12 years in prison.
Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, on Thursday, Onanuga said Nigerians should view the president’s decision to revise the list as evidence of a responsive and reflective leadership style.
“What Nigerians ought to have seen now is that this president is not afraid to reverse himself if he feels like he’s made some error,” Onanuga said.
He added that Tinubu remains open to public feedback and committed to correcting mistakes when necessary.
“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 insisted that Tinubu’s willingness to review and adjust his own decisions should be interpreted as a show of leadership maturity.
“It’s a matter of strength for you to do something, appraise it and make some adjustments,” he stated.
“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.
He noted that although some offender categories were excluded, certain individuals convicted of drug-related offences still received presidential clemency.
