ABUJA – The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, insisting that the administration is neither excessively borrowing nor over-taxing Nigerians.
The group was reacting to a recent statement by Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who argued that Nigeria could not “borrow, import and tax its way to prosperity.”
In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group described Atiku’s allegations as inaccurate and unsupported by available economic data.
According to TMSG, the former Vice President based his criticism largely on the latest inflation figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), while overlooking key indicators showing improvements in the country’s inflation trend.
The group noted that although food inflation recorded a slight increase in June 2026, the year-on-year figure of 17.52 per cent represented a significant improvement compared to the 25.41 per cent recorded in June 2025.
It also rejected Atiku’s claim that rising food prices were driven by increased food imports, arguing that the Federal Government’s temporary import waivers on selected food items contributed to reducing overall food inflation.
TMSG further accused the former Vice President of selectively highlighting states with higher food inflation while ignoring states that recorded relatively lower figures, including Katsina, Rivers and Imo.
The group maintained that the recent rise in food prices was largely influenced by external factors, particularly the conflict in the Middle East, which triggered increases in global fuel prices and transportation costs.
According to the group, inflation had been on a steady downward trend from the last quarter of 2025 until March 2026 before the geopolitical crisis affected global markets.
On taxation, TMSG described Atiku’s assertion that Nigerians were being excessively taxed as misleading.
It argued that the Tinubu administration’s tax reforms introduced substantial relief for small businesses and low-income earners through the Nigeria Tax Act (NTA).
The group stated that eligible small businesses now enjoy zero per cent Companies Income Tax, zero per cent Capital Gains Tax and exemption from the four per cent Development Levy, while mandatory withholding tax deductions on qualifying transactions have also been removed.
It added that individuals earning up to ₦1.2 million annually are exempt from personal income tax under the new tax regime.
TMSG therefore questioned the basis of Atiku’s criticism, insisting that Nigerians currently enjoy broader tax reliefs than in previous administrations.
The group urged Nigerians to assess the former Vice President’s comments objectively, describing them as politically motivated rather than driven by national interest.
