Prison experience taught me who my real political allies are — Farouk Lawan

– Says helium has nary crushed not to articulation APC

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Former subordinate of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, who was precocious granted a statesmanlike pardon by President Bola Tinubu, has described the motion arsenic an accidental to commencement a caller section successful life, peculiarly successful politics.

Lawan was among the 175 persons pardoned by President Tinubu connected Thursday, October 9, 2025, pursuing the proposal of the Council of State.

The erstwhile lawmaker, who represented the Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State, had been convicted successful 2021 for soliciting and accepting bribes successful 2012, allegedly to region a company’s sanction from the database of firms indicted successful Nigeria’s substance subsidy fraud scandal.

On June 22, 2021, a Federal High Court sentenced him to 7 years successful prison.

Speaking successful an interrogation with the BBC Hausa Service monitored by our analogous successful Kaduna connected Tuesday, Lawan expressed joyousness and gratitude implicit the pardon, saying the acquisition taught him invaluable lessons astir beingness and destiny.

“When idiosyncratic goes done a proceedings and Allah grants a accidental for pardon, you indispensable beryllium thankful. My household and well-wishers crossed the satellite were each filled with joyousness erstwhile the quality broke,” Lawan said.

He added, “It was so a time of thanksgiving to Allah, for He made it possible, and to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for doing what is right, thing worthy of commendation.”

Reflecting connected his situation experience, Lawan said helium had agelong surrendered everything to Allah, knowing that nary 1 tin flight destiny.

“Before I adjacent got to prison, my caput was astatine peace. I knew that wherever I was going, I would conscionable people, and if others could past there, I excessively could unrecorded done it,” helium stated.

After his merchandise successful 2024, the erstwhile lawmaker said helium took deliberate steps to realign his governmental direction, parting ways with the Kwankwasiyya movement, which helium had agelong been associated with.

He explained that though helium was a PDP subordinate erstwhile helium went to prison, helium aboriginal instructed his supporters to articulation the NNPP up of the 2023 elections, a directive they followed.

“When Allah allows you to look trials, He besides opens your eyes to spot who your existent allies are and who are not. When you’re successful a spot similar prison, you person capable clip to bespeak profoundly connected your relationships,” Lawan said.

He revealed that contempt his closeness to the Kwankwasiyya movement, a salient fig successful the radical ne'er called to sympathise oregon rejoice with him aft his release.

“It’s been a twelvemonth now, and not adjacent a telephone telephone from him, not to say, ‘Thank you, Allah, you’re out,’ oregon connection a supplication for me,” helium lamented.

Lawan, however, clarified that though helium nary longer identifies politically with the Kwankwasiyya group, helium inactive maintains communal respect for its leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

He concluded that his existent absorption is connected moving with a enactment that has broader nationalist acceptance.

The station Prison acquisition taught maine who my existent governmental allies are — Farouk Lawan appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.