Civil society leaders and human rights activists have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant presidential pardon to former Delta State Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori.

Comrade Austin Ozobo, National President of Ijaw People's Development Initiative (IPDI), made the appeal during a conversation with reporters in Warri. The human rights activist emphasized that Ibori has already served his prison sentence in London and forfeited numerous properties.

"Ibori deserves a PRESIDENTIAL pardon. The essence of the law is to correct offenders and not to kill them. As Deltans, we are not interested in further punishment for Ibori. He should be pardoned," Ozobo stated.

Supporting this position, Alaowei Cleric Ebikonbowei, Esq., Chairman Board of Trustees for the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC), argued that Ibori deserves pardon "in order to give him the leeway to handle critical national assignments."

Alaowei described the former governor as "a critical stakeholder in national development" and explained that granting presidential pardon to an ex-convict is a constitutional responsibility of the President, subject to approval by the Council of State.

Constitutional Process for Presidential Pardon

"Whenever the Council of State approves the pardon, the president has no other option than to carry out his function. The decision is not President Tinubu's sole decision but a collective one by the membership of the Council of State," Alaowei explained.

He further challenged critics of potential presidential pardons, stating, "I disagree with the opinions that some ex-convicts do not deserve pardon. There's no provision in the Constitution that says pardon should be granted to only certain categories of ex-convicts."

Ibori, who served as Delta State Governor from 1999 to 2007, was convicted in the United Kingdom for money laundering and served a prison sentence before returning to Nigeria.

The calls for his pardon come amid ongoing debates about rehabilitation and reintegration of former officials who have served their sentences. If granted, the presidential pardon would clear Ibori's criminal record and potentially allow him to participate more actively in national affairs.