By Wole Adedoyin
The President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Dr Usman Oladipo Akanbi, has passionately called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant a posthumous presidential pardon to the late Major-General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, a celebrated poet and writer who was executed in 1986 following allegations of involvement in a coup plot.
Dr Akanbi made this appeal during the second quarter session of the ANA Mbari Series, held under the theme, “Mbari Through the Eyes of the Founding Fathers.”
Speaking to a gathering of writers, scholars, and literary enthusiasts, the ANA President emphasized Mamman Vatsa’s profound contribution to the development of Nigerian literature and the institutional legacy he left behind. He recalled how, as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Vatsa allocated the land at Maitama Extension, Abuja, which has since become the permanent site of ANA’s national headquarters—now known as the Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village.
Dr. Akanbi described the execution of Mamman Vatsa in February 1986 as a tragic loss not only to Nigeria’s literary community but to the nation’s cultural and intellectual history. He noted that the pardon would serve as a symbolic restoration of Vatsa’s dignity and reaffirm his place as one of Nigeria’s literary icons. “Mamman Vatsa was not just a soldier; he was a man of letters, a poet whose works still resonate today,” he stated.
The ANA President further drew parallels between Vatsa’s case and those of other national figures who have received state clemency, including General Yakubu Gowon, General Olusegun Obasanjo, and the late Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. He noted that clemency in such high-profile cases is not without precedent and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead the way in healing national wounds.
Adding their voices to the appeal were respected literary figures such as Lindsay Barrett and former ANA President Denja Abdullahi. Both men echoed the need for a national reckoning with history, stating that pardoning Vatsa would be a moral and cultural gesture that recognizes his contributions to Nigeria’s literary heritage.
Dr. Akanbi urged all well-meaning Nigerians, writers, human rights advocates, and cultural stakeholders to rally behind the call for a posthumous pardon. He stressed that the act of forgiveness would be a symbolic gesture of national unity and reconciliation, especially for the literary community, which continues to celebrate Vatsa through events and institutions bearing his name.
He also referenced the Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village as a testimony to the enduring legacy of the late writer. The facility is recognized as the largest writers’ village in Africa and among the most significant globally. Dr. Akanbi emphasized that this should serve as a reminder of the great loss incurred with Vatsa’s untimely execution and a call to justice for his memory.
The ANA President also highlighted that a delegation had once visited the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, to plead for clemency before Vatsa’s execution, stressing the controversy that still surrounds the case decades later. He said a presidential pardon would offer closure to lingering questions and pain.
In concluding, Dr. Akanbi reiterated ANA’s commitment to preserving Nigeria’s literary history and supporting voices that have shaped the nation’s cultural narrative. He called on the Federal Government to correct a historical wrong by posthumously pardoning Mamman Jiya Vatsa and recognizing him as a national treasure whose words and actions left an indelible mark on the soul of the nation.
The Association of Nigerian Authors remains hopeful that the call for clemency will not go unheard and that Major-General Mamman Vatsa’s name will be rightfully restored in Nigeria’s literary and national history.
