The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has commended President Bola Tinubu for granting a posthumous presidential pardon to Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists executed by the Nigerian government during the regime of General Sani Abacha.
MOSOP, however, appealed to the President to formally exonerate the Ogoni 9, insisting that they committed no offence and should not have been punished in the first place.
In a statement, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described Tinubu’s gesture, announced during the 2025 Democracy Day address, as “both historic and a positive step towards healing.” He noted that “few administrations have dared to confront this painful legacy with such candor and daring.”
“President Tinubu has once again distinguished himself among Nigerian leaders as one with the wisdom and courage to answer a longstanding prayer from an oppressed populace with compassion and clarity,” Nsuke said.
He continued: “His recognition of the injustices endured by Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots, and his words acknowledging the moral wounds of their execution, have been received with gratitude across the country and by many in the international community.”
Nsuke, however, emphasized that while the presidential pardon is significant, it still implies that an offence was committed.
“A pardon, by its very nature, implies the existence of an offence. In the case of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots, it is clear that no legitimate crime was committed. President Tinubu himself acknowledged that their unjust execution should never have happened,” he said, referencing the President’s statement: “Today, we correct the record and honour their courage in the face of tyranny.”
“Their conviction was the result of a deeply flawed and politically motivated process that should never have occurred,” he added.
Nsuke called on the President to take a further step by pursuing a formal exoneration of the Ogoni 9.
“Such an exoneration would serve as a stronger moral and legal correction, ensuring that their names are no longer burdened by the stain of injustice,” he said.
He also urged the government to establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate and formally repudiate the irregularities of the 1995 tribunal that convicted the activists.
“Such a landmark act of complete restorative justice would further cement President Tinubu’s legacy as a leader not only of courage, but of conscience,” Nsuke added.
President Tinubu had earlier announced the full pardon for the nine Ogoni rights campaigners: Ken Saro-Wiwa, Dr. Nubari Kiobel, Nordu Eawo, Saturday Doobee, John Kpuinen, Paul Levura, Daniel Gbokoo, Felix Nuate, and Baribor Bera.
