Prerogative of Mercy: Council of State Grants Presidential Pardon to 175 Convicts, Including Herbert Macaulay, Mamman Vatsa, Undisclosed Others
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Council of State has approved the exercise of presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 persons across different categories, including posthumous pardons for Nigerian nationalist icon, Herbert Macaulay and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Maj.-Gen. Mamman Vatsa (retd.), who was executed in 1986.
OTN News further reports that the approval followed a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), during the council’s meeting held on Thursday at the State House, Abuja.
Fagbemi conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s recommendations based on the report of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Although the full list of beneficiaries has yet to be made public, notable among those granted pardon are Herbert Macaulay, widely regarded as the father of Nigerian nationalism, and Mamman Vatsa, a respected poet and member of the Supreme Military Council executed under the General Ibrahim Babangida regime for an alleged coup plot.
Members of the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four were also named among the beneficiaries.
OTN News recalls that Macaulay, who was jailed twice by the British colonial government, first in 1913 for alleged fund misappropriation and later in 1928 for sedition over his newspaper’s reporting during the Eleko of Lagos crisis, has long been viewed by historians as a victim of political persecution.
His posthumous pardon is seen as a symbolic act of historical justice.
OTN News also recalls that Vatsa’s execution in 1986 has remained one of the most controversial in Nigeria’s military history, with growing calls over the years for his name to be cleared.
His inclusion on the pardon list marks the first official government action acknowledging concerns over his conviction.
Of the 175 approved cases, 82 inmates received full pardons, 65 had their sentences reduced, while seven death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani said the decision reflects President Tinubu’s “commitment to justice, fairness, and correctional reform.”
According to him, the exercise aligns with the administration’s broader goal of decongesting correctional facilities and correcting historical injustices.
The Council of State meeting, chaired by President Tinubu, also ratified key federal appointments. Dr. Aminu Yusuf from Niger State was confirmed as Chairman of the National Population Commission, while Tonge Bularafa was approved as the Federal Commissioner representing Yobe State.
Both appointments received unanimous endorsement from council members.
The Council of State, an advisory body comprising former Presidents, Vice Presidents, Chief Justices, Governors, and key federal officials, serves as a platform for high-level consultation on national issues, including the exercise of the prerogative of mercy.
What's Your Reaction?
