By David Torough, Abuja

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, has charged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to translate the findings of the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) into concrete improvements in their operations in order to strengthen accountability and public trust.

He gave the charge while delivering the keynote address at the presentation of the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index held at the Auditorium of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja.

The SGF said the administration of President Bola Tinubu, remains committed to open, accountable and responsible governance, stressing that public institutions must ensure that their policies, programmes and actions are transparent, visible and understandable to Nigerians.

According to him, the Index has become a vital instrument for assessing accountability, openness and ethical standards across government institutions, while providing MDAs with clear benchmarks to identify areas of strength and gaps requiring improvement.

He urged heads of MDAs to integrate the findings and indicators of the Index into strategic planning, performance management, budget priorities, procurement processes, staff training and digital disclosure rather than allow the report to become another document left unused.

“The report should not sit on the shelf and should inform management decisions, budget priorities, procurement processes, staff training, digital disclosure, and how you communicate with the public,” he said.

Akume emphasised that transparency should be viewed as an institutional asset rather than an administrative burden, noting that integrity must be embedded in the procedures and culture of public institutions through clear policies, proper record-keeping, effective oversight, ethical leadership and consequences for wrongdoing.

He further tasked MDAs to take advantage of technology by ensuring that their websites and data portals provide accurate, timely and user-friendly information, including current budget, contract and service information, to enable citizens to effectively engage government and track the utilisation of public resources.

The SGF explained that the 2026 TII assesses public institutions in five critical areas comprising fiscal transparency, open procurement and contracting, human resources and inclusion, control of corruption and citizens’ engagement, adding that the initiative complements existing public service reforms, anti-corruption measures and Nigeria’s Open Government Partnership commitments.

He noted that the ultimate objective of transparency and integrity should go beyond institutional rankings to building public institutions that Nigerians can understand, engage with and hold accountable, while safeguarding public resources and improving service delivery.

“The Federal Government remains fully committed to this goal. We will continue building institutions that are transparent, accountable, professional and responsive to the needs of the people,” the SGF said.

Akume commended the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) for sustaining the initiative, while calling for stronger collaboration among government, civil society, professional bodies, development partners and the media in strengthening transparency and bringing corruption to its knees.

The PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, has  called on Nigerians to reelect President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election so that he can consolidate the economic reforms of his administration. 

Founder of the movement, Government Ekpemupolo, stated this on Monday, in Lafia, during the launch of grassroots mobilisation for Tinubu’s reelection.

Managing Director of Tantita Security Services, Kestin Pondi, who represented the founder, said the reforms had created challenges but noted that the reforms were necessary to deliver long-term economic benefits.

He urged the people of Nasarawa State to support Tinubu for another four-year term, stressing that “to whom much is given, much is expected.

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Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, said the movement’s assessment of developments along the road to Lafia showed ongoing construction projects, which he said demonstrates the impact of the administration’s policies and reforms.

“Reforms don’t come easy. Reforms come with their level of challenges. But those challenges are actually what reform is about,” he stated.

He said: “Today, on our way to Nasarawa, we passed through a lot of wonderful roads. We passed through a lot of construction sites. And what does that tell you? It tells you that President Bola Tinubu is working. His economic reforms are working.

“His local government autonomy policies are working. Today, governors can pay salaries. Governors can pay pensions. Governors can embark on very huge projects because, as a result of the policies of President Bola Tinubu, governors now have more resources to develop their states.”

Tompolo said the reforms require continuity, arguing that four years would not be enough to fully realise their benefits.

“These reforms need consolidation. Four years are not enough. The benefits of these reforms have not been fully experienced,” he said.

He also cited increased resources available to state governments, the absence of petrol queues and increased investment activity as developments he associated with the administration’s policies.

Tompolo said planned investments in Nasarawa State included a 6,000-metric-tonne lithium processing plant, housing projects and industrialisation initiatives.

Also speaking, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, commended the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement for its support for Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, saying the state has benefited from the Federal Government’s economic reforms.

Sule said Nasarawa State has cleared outstanding gratuities accumulated since the creation of the state in 1996 and 2012.

He further claimed that the state had undertaken more than N100 billion in capital projects without borrowing from commercial banks, attributing the development to the Tinubu administration’s reforms.

According to him, the reforms had also encouraged investors to consider Nasarawa State by improving the investment environment.

The governor thanked the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement for providing vehicles and financial support for its grassroots mobilisation activities.

He said the support demonstrated commitment beyond verbal declarations of support for the President.

He expressed confidence in the support of Nasarawa voters for Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Earlier, the National Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Sunday Asuku, said Tompolo had mandated the organisation to mobilise voters across Nasarawa State for Tinubu.

Asuku said the movement believes the economic reforms introduced by the administration were necessary despite the challenges Nigerians were experiencing.

He urged Nigerians to compare the Tinubu administration’s policies with the records of opposition politicians who had previously held public office.

He said the Door-to-Door Movement would continue its grassroots mobilisation from local government to local government, ward to ward and polling unit to polling unit ahead of the 2027 election.

The launch featured the inauguration of coordinators across the state’s local government areas and the presentation of vehicles to support the movement’s grassroots mobilisation.

Grand patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo has said President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2027 presidential election is a win for the north as it will ensure that power returns to the north at the end of his tenure in 2031.

He stated this during a rally in Kano, to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Speaking at the event held in the open arena of the Kano State Government House, Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, called on the people of Kano to massively cast their votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Represented by the Managing Director of Tantita Limited, Kestin Pondi, he urged the people of Kano not to be deceived by the many promises of opposition candidates including the vow to only serve a single term by another southern presidential candidate.

He further said the north must make a wise political choice by re-electing President Tinubu, who has supported the north politically and will also hand over power to them in 2031, in keeping with the gentleman agreement that the presidency rotates between the south and the north with two terms each.

Tompolo noted that the movement has solid support from high ranking sons and daughters of the north as well as people in the grassroots who are regularly being moblised to come out to vote Tinubu.
He said: “No presidential candidate can come here to tell us that he wants to be elected for four years and actually keep to his promise to stay for four years. For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu he is about rounding up his first four years. He doesn’t have reasons to deceive us, he is meant to serve just another four years and we will all rally around your preferred northern candidate for the presidency in 2031.
“Our plea to the very good and great people of Kano State is that, don’t allow anybody to deceive you that they will come and do just four years from the scratch; anybody that comes to tell you that is coming to deceive you. Every elected politician wants to stay for eight years as provided in the constitution.”

“We move from Door-to-Door. We move from Market-to-market. We move from house=-to-house, we move fro move from mosque-to-mosque. We move from ward to ward and we ensure that we tell he people the good things President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done”, he stated.

Tompolo also said the movement, other groups and individuals supporting the President aren’t oblivious of the challenges being faced by the people following the far-reaching reforms introduced by the current administration; he however highlighted the many successes recorded by President Tinubu as well as significant progress recorded in dealing with high level insecurity across the country.

“Yes, reforms come with peculiar challenges. But if you want to change a system, it will come with its challenges.

“The economic policies introduced by President Bola Ahmed have given more money to the various states and this has helped different governors execute projects, pay salaries, pay pension and carry out duties that are expected of governors”, he stressed.

He commended the Kano State governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, his development efforts in the state, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, education and other key sectors, pointing out that he is one of the governors who have utilised the increased funding received from the Federal Government.

He also commended the governor for joining the All Progressive Congress (APC), saying, it has positioned the state to better benefit from the centre.

Speaking, Gov. Yusuf described Kano State as one hundred per cent in support of Tinubu’s second term. According to him, Kano is a state of people with integrity, who keep to agreements.

The governor while calling on his people to vote for the APC all through, said rotational presidency promotes unity in the country and it should be sustained.

“It is my humble decision to align myself with the policies of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Let me say that Kano State in behind the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces one hundred percent”, he stated.

Gov. Yusuf further called on the north to back President Tinubu to complete the turn of the south in presidency, saying it is the right thing to do.

“We made a promise that because of the effort of the president in ensuring the provision of infrastructure in all sectors of the economy, including human capital development, we decided from this side of region to support his candidature and reelection by the grace of Allah, come January 2027”, he emphasised.

“Let me reiterate that Nigeria’s unity is uncompromised. Nigerians have decided to come together as a people, Nigeria has decided that as with the initial agreement in the last two decades, that the north will be in control of the presidency for eight consecutive years and the north will hand over to the south for another eight consecutive years. I want to say for the last administration, a northerner was elected, our late president, Mohammed Buhari,stayed in government for eight years and at the end of his tenure, power was handed over to the south and then, Nigerians decided to elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“President Bola Tinubu has served Nigeria for over three years and we are now coming for another election, it is therefore our responsibility as Nigerians, as respected people, to agree that the President should be reelected for another term of four years”, the governor stated.

Gov. Yusuf expressed appreciation to Tompolo for taking the Door-To-Door movement across the country and especially to northern states.

Earlier in his welcome address, the National Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door movement, Comrade Sunday Adekanbi Asuku, called on the people of Kano to vote massively for President Tinubu.

He said: “We are here to seek full support and to gather a pyramid of votes for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. The reason is simple and short, President Tinubu has done for Kano what he has not done even for Lagos State.

“Today, over 40 federal appointees are from Kano State. Today, you have the Kano Northern Bypass which is 37 km with 10 bridges. Today under this administration, there is the Kano- Kaduna standard gauge rail connected to Kano to Abuja and beyond. Today, we have the Kano- Daura Rail line and so many other projects. And that is why we are here to make you understand that you should not be carried away by the frivolities of people under the guise of opposition. They don’t mean well for Nigeria.

“But on the other side, President Tinubu has done well in the past three years, and if we give him the opportunity, he would consolidate on the foundation he has led for the past three and a half years”, he said