A pro-government group, Legacy Support Group for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope for a Better Nigeria, has thrown its weight behind the policies of the Tinubu administration and urged Nigerians to embrace unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group said it had observed what it described as persistent attacks and negative rhetoric from disgruntled politicians and unsuccessful office seekers, which it claimed were deliberate attempts to discredit President Tinubu’s leadership.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the group in Abuja, the National Coordinator, Chief Chima Chrysgonus Duru, said while constructive criticism is vital to democracy, campaigns of calumny against the President should not be tolerated.

The event attracted political stakeholders, youth leaders, professionals and grassroots mobilisers from across the country, all of whom pledged support for the policies and reform initiatives of the Tinubu administration.

Duru described recent criticisms by opposition figures as calculated efforts to destabilise a democratically elected government.

“Government is a continuum, and constructive criticism based on facts strengthens democracy and helps deliver dividends to the people,” he said. “However, unwarranted aspersions against Mr President, driven by personal frustration, must be firmly rejected.”

According to him, the Legacy Support Group was established to bridge the gap between the government and the people, particularly at the grassroots level, by promoting better understanding of the administration’s economic, social and governance reforms.

He accused what he termed “enemies of Nigeria” of exploiting issues such as fuel subsidy removal, economic hardship and insecurity to incite public discontent against the government.

Duru argued that President Tinubu’s background in the oil and gas sector equipped him to confront entrenched corruption linked to the fuel subsidy regime, which he said largely benefited powerful cabals and fraudulent importers.

He noted that while previous administrations hesitated to remove the subsidy due to vested interests, Tinubu took what he described as a decisive step to safeguard Nigeria’s economic future, introducing cushioning measures such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to ease transportation challenges.

Duru further stated that revenues accruing from subsidy removal had improved allocations to states and local governments, enabling them to fund infrastructure projects, pay salaries and strengthen local governance.

He added that Nigeria’s challenges are partly influenced by regional instability, but said the administration’s strategic interventions were already yielding positive results.

The group described the performance of the Tinubu administration within two and a half years as unprecedented and called on Nigerians across ethnic, religious and gender lines to support the continuity of the Renewed Hope agenda beyond 2027.

Also speaking at the event, a former Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Mike Okiro, represented by Maxwell Ezeigwe, said the organisation supported healthy political competition and urged stakeholders to work collectively for national progress.

“This organisation stands firmly against one-party dominance,” he said.

“We believe in constructive competition as a tool for growth and accountability. That is why we call on all stakeholders to work together to build a better Nigeria.”