Farouk Lawan praises Tinubu for presidential pardon, says his hope is renewed
Farouk Lawan, former member of the House of Representatives, has expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for granting him a presidential pardon, describing the gesture as a renewal of hope and restoration of faith in the country.
President Tinubu granted clemency to Lawan and several others on Thursday.
Lawan, who represented the Bagwai/Shanono constituency of Kano State, was at the centre of a major corruption scandal in 2012 after he was accused of demanding a $3 million bribe from billionaire businessman Femi Otedola.
The payment was allegedly to facilitate the removal of Otedola’s company, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, from the list of firms implicated in the petrol subsidy fraud.
At the height of the controversy, videos circulated widely on social media showing Lawan stuffing wads of cash into his traditional outfit and under his cap.
He was subsequently arraigned on seven counts of bribery by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). In June 2021, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo convicted him on three counts and sentenced him to seven years in prison.
In February 2022, the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted Lawan on two of the three counts but upheld his conviction on one count, reducing the sentence to five years. The Supreme Court, in January 2024, affirmed the appellate court’s judgment.
Lawan completed his five-year prison term in October 2024.
Reacting to his pardon in a statement, the former lawmaker described Tinubu as “a fatherly, compassionate, and decisive political leader.”
“To a fatherly, compassionate, and decisive political leader, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, God, and history shall remember you,” he said.
“Mr President has cast a warm blanket over me, pulling me back from the harshness of yesterday’s cold. A day like this is not for a long treatise. I lie, prostrate utterly humble in my heart and entire being, grateful for the mercy which Allah (SWT), through Mr. President and my country have shown me.”
Reflecting on his ordeal, Lawan acknowledged his family and supporters for standing by him. “During the eclipse at noon of my life, a path designed by destiny, a past with which I am fully reconciled, my family, friends and associates stood by me through thick and thin, their light became my singular unfailing beacon. I remain eternally indebted to you. May Allah (SWT) recompense you.”
He added that his faith in Nigeria’s potential never wavered. “Throughout those moments of sober reflection, my faith in the greatness of our Fatherland never wavered, nor did my resolve to contribute to it ever weaken. A re-dedication to the ideals of Nigeria is upon me. My hope is renewed.”
Lawan said the pardon has restored his sense of purpose and commitment to national service. “My family and I, along with my friends and associates in Kano State and across Nigeria, are indescribably grateful to Mr. President for drafting me back into active citizenship with its unavoidable service imperative.”
