The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has accused opposition politicians of engaging in what it described as “scandal fishing” in a bid to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s administration ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group alleged that opposition figures had resorted to misrepresenting facts and promoting unverified claims after realising it would be difficult to unseat President Tinubu in the next general election.
TMSG cited recent criticisms by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) observations on the 2026 federal budget as an example of what it called deliberate distortion of facts.
According to the group, the IMF had raised concerns over an alleged N8.83 trillion discrepancy in the budget, noting that the expenditures were executed outside the formal budget process while acknowledging ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to revise relevant laws.
The group said the government, through Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele, had clarified that the expenditures comprised statutory transfers, intervention funds backed by Acts of Parliament, capital projects approved through separate budgets, and allocations to agencies and the Federal Capital Territory.
It maintained that such expenditures are recognised components of Nigeria’s public finance framework and should not be portrayed as financial misconduct.
TMSG criticised Atiku Abubakar for commenting on the issue, arguing that, as a former Vice President, he should be familiar with the country’s budgeting procedures. It also faulted Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, claiming his criticisms reflected a poor understanding of governance at the federal level.
The group further accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of misrepresenting a recent report by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which indicated that more than 17 million people across nine conflict-affected northern states are facing acute hunger.
According to TMSG, the opposition wrongly attributed the humanitarian crisis to the policies of the Tinubu administration, despite the WFP report linking the situation primarily to insecurity and conflict in affected communities.
The group described the opposition’s interpretation of the report as politically motivated and accused its leaders of exploiting humanitarian challenges to score political points.
TMSG added that the Federal Government is implementing both military and non-military measures to address insecurity and improve conditions in the affected areas, urging opposition politicians to avoid what it described as the politicisation of national challenges.
