Presidential Pardon: Don’t Lump Herbert Macaulay With Drug Barons, Murderers, Descendants Urge Tinubu

Descendants of the foremost Nigerian nationalist, Sir Herbert Macaulay, on Thursday appealed to President Bola Tinubu to isolate their patriarch for commendation and honour.

The descendants led by one of the grandsons and former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George made this appeal at a news conference in Lagos.

George, flanked by some great grand children of the father of Nigerian nationalism, said while the family appreciated the recent state pardon given to Macaulay, they expected that he shouldn’t have been lumped up with others.

Macaulay’s family members in attendance at the news conference include Erelu Adeola Macaulay, Mr Lanre Oshodi, Ms Mayokun Thomas, Miss Kofoworola Macaulay, Miss Adeyinka Macaulay, Mr Ayo Ogunlana and Miss Turi Akerele.

Continuing, he said ” We thank Mr President for the state pardon but not pleased with the way it was lumped with other convicted characters. Lumping him with all manners of characters is a little bit unfair.

“If he (Macaulay) is to be honoured, he should be be honoured independently. The British hated him with passion, harassed him and imprisoned him for his fight for the cause of freedom for Nigeria.

“Don’t lump him with other characters. He should be isolated and be honoured separately.

“He deserves a better commendation. He should not be lumped up with those convicted of drugs, murder, corrupt practices being pardoned.

“We are appealing to the inner chambers of power that be to isolate Baba and honour him for all he did for this country,” George said.

According to him, Macaulay’s contributions can never be erased in the country.

He urged the President to create an everlasting memory for Macaulay by rebuilding his house at Marina, demolished by the British to build General Post Office.

He described Macaulay as man whose courage, intellect, and conviction had helped lay the very foundation of Nigerian political consciousness.

George said that Macaulay more than a century ago rekindled the flame of patriotism, visionary leadership, political integrity, and people-centered governance.

He said that Macaulay’s choice to stand against injustice when it was far easier to conform and enjoy prestige under colonial administration made him remarkable.

George said: “Yet, he chose the harder path — to question authority, to challenge exploitation, and to speak truth to power. He was a relentless critic of colonial misrule.

“In 1908, Macaulay’s growing criticism of British policies found a public platform through his involvement in the Lagos Daily News, a paper he co-founded to serve as the voice of the voiceless.

“The newspaper became his weapon — a weapon of truth and advocacy. He used it to expose corruption, racial discrimination, and economic exploitation.

“In his time, Macaulay was vilified by the colonial press, labeled a troublemaker, even imprisoned. But history has vindicated him.”

Describing Macaulay as people’s advocate, George said that his late uncle understood that political freedom was meaningless without social justice.

“In his time, he took risks — he was imprisoned twice by the colonial government, yet he never wavered,” he said.

He also recalled how Macaulay founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) the first political party in Nigeria to create an organised platform for collective political expression.

George said: “He embodied the principle that true leadership is not about personal glory, but about building institutions and nurturing successors.

“He died in 1946, in Kano, while on a political campaign for national unity — a patriot to his final breath.

“Herbert Macaulay’s legacy is not confined to history books or monuments. His ideas remain alive in every debate about governance, equity, and national identity in Nigeria today.”

The grandson highlighted that Macaulay believed in self-determination, unity in diversity, accountability, education and politics of integrity.

“If we truly seek to honor Herbert Macaulay today, we must not do so with mere words or statues.

“We must embody his principles in our politics — in the integrity of our elections, in the transparency of our governance, and in our commitment to justice for all Nigerians,” he said.

“He envisioned a country where government is not a master, but a servant of the people.

“Today, as we grapple with the challenges of nation-building — insecurity, inequality, and corruption — we must draw from his example. We must build bridges, not walls; institutions, not empires.”

Herbert Macaulay, who was born on Nov. 14, 1864, in Lagos, during the height of colonial dominance and died of peunomonia after his return from Kano in 1946.

President Bola Tinubu, on October 9, 2025 granted presidential post-humous state pardon to late nationalist, Herbert Macaulay, and 174 others dead and alive.