Reports received from around the National Assembly alleged that President Bola Tinubu may take the opportunity of the Democracy Day celebration on Thursday, June 12, 2025, to grant presidential pardon to some ex-convicts who are political gladiators.
Two names that have so far been mentioned are the former Delta State governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori and a former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan [Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State].
The announcement of the grant of presidential pardon may form one of the major highlights of President Tinubu’s address to the joint sitting of the National Assembly tomorrow, Thursday.
The decision by the President to deploy the platform of the Legislature in delivering his Democracy Day speech is not unconnected with the acceptance of the place of the legislature in the tripartite classification of powers as a constitutional imperative.
The legislature is said to be the platform upon which constitutional democracy rests.
Another highlight of President Tinubu’s speech at the joint sitting, which has already been confirmed, is the conferment of national honours on a select group of federal lawmakers.
The commemorative event – special joint sitting – is scheduled to be held in the more expansive House of Representatives Chamber.
Proceedings will commence at 11:00 a.m., while President Tinubu is expected to arrive at 12:00 noon to deliver a presidential address as the Special Guest of Honour.
Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akin Rotimi confirmed the development in a statement last Sunday.
The announcement of the presidential pardon for politicians who are ex- convicts may either feature in the president’s speech at the joint sitting or his speech to Nigerians via a nationwide broadcast. There is also a possibility that it may be communicated in a statement by the Presidency.
In 2012, James Onanefe Ibori was sentenced to 13 years in prison for money laundering in the United Kingdom.
He was released from prison in December 2016 after a court order. He served 4 years of the 13 years to which he was sentenced.
Afterward, Ibori was deported to Nigeria, where he continued to retain political influence.
In 2021, a British court ordered him to pay approximately £100 million, which was to be returned to the Nigerian government.
The former Governor has been very supportive of the Tinubu government, it is however, left to be confirmed at what point Ibori consolidated his support for Tinubu at the expense of his friend, Atiku Abubakar, for whom he stuck his neck out in 2003.
Ibori led a group of 22 PDP governors who lined behind Atiku in a threatened bid to upstage Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidential re-election bid at the presidential primary election of the PDP and for which he was “consequentially punished” and dragged through court in 2003 for being an ex-convict and therefore not qualified to have contested election to become governor of Delta State.
His lawyer, Chief Rotimi Williams [SAN] of blessed memory had argued before the Supreme Court that he [Ibori] was not the same James Onanefe Ibori who was convicted by the Bwari Court in 1995.
Ibori and Tinubu were members of the State Governor’s Class of 1999 to 2007.
Ibori, as reported was one of the first set of influential Nigerians who visited Tinubu in Abuja after being sworn in as president.
He was also the link man who facilitated the arrangement that saw the governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy, and former governor and vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Okowa, join the APC.
On his part, Hon Farouk Lawan was a very prominent lawmaker in Kano state. He represented Shanono federal constituency for three terms in the National Assembly.
He was a leader of the integrity group who failed the integrity test for corruption by accepting a $500,00 bribe from billionaire businessman, Mr Femi Otedola during the House of Representatives Committee investigation into fuel subsidy scandal in 2012.
He was found guilty and sentenced to jail for 7 years on June 22, 2021
He completed his jail term on October 22, 2024, and he is now active in the current political dispensation.
Only recently, he was sighted at the formal defection of Delta State governor, former governor of the state, and vice presidential candidate for the PDP and other strong political bigwigs of the party.
In addition, Farouk was on the team of members from Kano state, who graced the defection of some NNPP members of the House of Representatives from Kano state.
A presidential pardon for Ibori, Lawan, and others who bear the tag of ex-convict will be remove a significant constitutional encumbrance to their full participation in politics and governance.
