In an era where Nigerians complain that leaders are deaf to public sentiment, it’s ironic that President Tinubu is being attacked for doing what others refused to — listening to the people.
It’s one of those Nigerian paradoxes: we cry for leaders who will listen, and when one finally does, we accuse him of weakness.
The recent uproar over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s exercise of presidential pardon — especially the inclusion of a few names linked to drug and financial offences — has ignited predictable outrage. But beyond the noise lies an irony worth unpacking. For once, a Nigerian government has responded to public outcry and shown readiness to review its own decision. Yet, rather than welcome this as democratic progress, some critics have turned it into a political punchline.
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History offers a clear comparison. President Olusegun Obasanjo pardoned controversial figures, including convicted political leaders — and public backlash met a brick wall. President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2013 pardon of Diepreye Alamieyeseigha drew global criticism, but the list stood unaltered. President Muhammadu Buhari’s Council of State pardoned two former governors convicted of looting billions, yet the government brushed aside moral objections.
No reversals. No reviews. No apologies.
Fast forward to 2025 — the Tinubu administration hears the nation’s pulse, admits public discomfort, and begins steps toward a review. The same critics who once condemned arrogance of power now mock humility as weakness.
So, which do Nigerians truly want — a leader who listens or one who never bends?
Democracy thrives not on rigidity, but responsiveness. Leadership is not defined by the inability to change course, but by the wisdom to know when to. Adjusting a decision after public feedback is not indecision; it is maturity.
Even in advanced democracies, leaders recalibrate after public pushback. When U.S. presidents withdraw controversial policies or British prime ministers pause unpopular laws, it is seen as accountability, not frailty. Nigeria should not treat humility as a sin in governance.
Still, perception carries weight. A presidential pardon, no matter how constitutionally sound, can erode public confidence if the beneficiaries offend moral conscience. Mercy must not be mistaken for moral blindness.
President Tinubu’s broader vision — economic revival, infrastructure renewal, and social reform — deserves to shine without being shadowed by a handful of controversial names. The government would do well to cleanse the list of anyone whose record could tarnish its reform agenda.
Politics is not just about doing what is right — it is about being seen to do what is right.
The philosophy behind clemency is noble: redemption, compassion, and second chances. But when mercy meets public morality, the line becomes delicate.
Many elderly inmates, wrongly convicted persons, and reformed low-level offenders genuinely deserve a second chance. Yet those convicted for betraying public trust — particularly in drug and financial crimes — require more cautious evaluation.
By showing willingness to review and amend, the Tinubu government sends a clear message: leadership is about both empathy and accountability.
Opposition voices may gloat that the government “bowed to pressure.” But in truth, that is how democracy works — pressure, feedback, reform. The arrogance of silence that defined past administrations should never be mistaken for strength.
We need leaders who can hear thunder, not those who act as if rain doesn’t fall.
If President Tinubu follows through with transparency and cleans up the pardon list to reflect national decency, it will not diminish him — it will elevate him.
Listening is not weakness. It is strength wrapped in humility.
And in a nation long starved of responsive leadership, that in itself is a breath of democratic fresh air.