Gladness Gideon
The Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA) has firmly rejected the state pardon and national honour granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other environmental activists, widely known as the “Ogoni Nine.”
The announcement was made by OCIA President Dr. Goodluck Diigbo during an exclusive online interview with Vanguard on Sunday.
President Tinubu’s posthumous gesture, delivered on June 12, 2025, was intended to mark Nigeria’s Democracy Day by attempting to bring closure to one of the nation’s most painful chapters—one marked by the 1995 execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots after a military tribunal convicted them for alleged involvement in the murder of four Ogoni leaders. The trial and subsequent executions drew international condemnation and are widely regarded as a miscarriage of justice.
However, Dr. Diigbo argued that the presidential pardon was misplaced and failed to reflect the true nature of the injustice done.
“The Ogoni Nine never committed any crime against the Nigerian state to warrant a pardon. What they deserve is exoneration, not forgiveness for a crime they never committed,” Diigbo stated.
He acknowledged what he believes to be President Tinubu’s good intention to reconcile with the Ogoni people but criticized the legal and moral basis of the action, stressing that granting a pardon implies guilt—a notion the Ogoni community has always rejected.
“I fear that President Tinubu, despite his good intentions, may run into legal trouble by exercising the constitutional power of pardon under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution, especially when tied to a national award. That section doesn’t provide for honouring individuals considered criminals, even posthumously,” he said.
According to Diigbo, the only acceptable path forward is full exoneration—one that includes a formal admission of wrongdoing by the state, a parliamentary resolution of regret, and a national apology for what he described as the “state-sanctioned murder” of innocent Ogoni leaders.
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“I’ve begun working toward an Exoneration Administrative Framework in consultation with members of the National Assembly,” Diigbo revealed. “This framework would align with the Constitution while legitimizing any effort to honour our martyrs.”
The OCIA leader emphasized that a resolution passed by the Ogoni General Assembly clearly rejects the pardon and national honour for now, affirming the belief that Saro-Wiwa and his fellow activists were “pre-judged, without proper judicial process, and murdered.”
Diigbo also criticized past administrations, especially that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, for failing to address the historical injustice. He accused Jonathan of promoting individuals involved in the 1995 tribunal rather than correcting the record.
“It’s unfortunate that former President Jonathan didn’t remember what Tinubu has now tried to do. Instead, he promoted those who concocted the kangaroo tribunal. That failure still pains our people,” Diigbo added.
Despite the rejection, Dr. Diigbo did not rule out future recognition of Tinubu’s gesture—once meaningful exoneration is achieved. “Our people will express genuine recognition of Tinubu’s good intention at the right time,” he concluded.
The execution of the Ogoni Nine remains one of Nigeria’s most contentious historical episodes. The latest developments signal that reconciliation with the Ogoni people will require more than symbolic gestures—it demands justice, acknowledgment, and institutional reform.