President Buhari agreed to grant posthumous presidential pardon to Ambrose Alli – Gov. Obaseki

The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his willingness to grant posthumous presidential pardon to late Professor Ambrose Alli.

Alli was a former Governor of Bendel State (now Edo and Delta States).

When he left office in 1983, he retired to his family house.

However, after the military government of the then Major-General Muhammadu Buhari took power, he was sentenced to 100 years in prison by a military tribunal for allegedly misappropriating N983,000 in funds for a road project.

He was later freed when the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, paid a fine to the government.

Shortly after being released from prison, Alli died on his 60th birthday on 22 September 1989, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos.

Speaking at a memorial service held in honour of the former governor at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Emaudo, Ekpoma, on Sunday, Obaseki said he was optimistic that at the next meeting of the Council on Prerogative of Mercy, the president would officially grant him pardon posthumously.

“I had an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari while in China and discussed the issue of a (posthumous) presidential pardon for late Prof. Alli.

“The president asked me to meet with the Attorney-General of the Federation. This I have done and I have also written to him.

“The president has subsequently instructed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to begin the process,” he said.

The Governor also gave the assurance that he was working with his Delta counterpart to ensure that pension due to late Alli was paid to his widow and the family.