POLITICS
Dickson Predicts More Defections to PDP Ahead Bayelsa Polls
From Tayese Mike, Yenagoa
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson, Wednesday, assured Bayelsans that they would witness more political leaders defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the November 16, governorship election draws closer.
Speaking during a live media chat in Government House in Yenagoa, the State capital, Dickson said that the political leaders that defected from the PDP to the APC left without their followers, saying that the PDP family was still intact and ready to win the forthcoming election in the State.
Dickson explained that the forthcoming election would be decided by people and not polilical leaders and expressed the confidence that majority of the electorates in the State were solidly behind the PDP, willing to ensure its victory at the poll.
He further said that while the APC was celebrating the few members of the PDP that defected recently, he was quietly receiving strategic members of the APC who do not wish to have their names mentioned, and that close to the election their identities would be made public.
He said “elections are by the people and not leaders. Although leaders have a role to play but If you are only interested in leaders, you have failed already. Most of the leaders that defected to the APC from PDP are doing so alone, leaving their families and supporters behind.
“And what they don’t know is that their followers are in touch with me because I have direct contact with them. The followers have told me that they are happy that their leaders have left. If a leader defects and the followers have refused to go with him, what he has is just one vote.
“Even those leaders that have been paid to defect can be paid to move back to the PDP. And we are going to be seeing that from now till election day. Some can still be paid to remain in the APC but not work for them. I have been very generous in appointing people.
“Just yesterday we inaugurated 32 Rural Development Authority chairmen and they have been mandated to innuagurate a 14 man board. So multiply the appointees, 14 multiplied by 32 and you would know the strenght.
“The other day I appointed 60 Special Advisers. So in all we have over 3000 appointees at different levels. So defection does not really affect our capacity to win election. What they don’t know is that everyday, I am quietly receiving APC members. What I am targeting is their field workers.”
Meanwhile, the leadership of the APC has urged Bayelsans to disregard the claims of the Governor, saying he is an habitual slanderer who uses intimidation as a tool to oppress rivals he cannot stand in a free and fair election.
In a statement issued by APC’s State Publicity Secretary and Secretary of the party’s 2019 Governorship Campaign Council, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, the APC said that Dickson’s comments recently were habitual trickery, meant to hide his nervousness by defaming the opponent, when jittery and faced with tough political opposition.
The chairman of the APC, Jothan Amos, was quoted as saying “APC is not distracted by those tricks and manifestation of defeat.
Dickson and his cohorts in PDP will suffer the inevitable outcome of embodying the elemental forces of failure: they will be roundly defeated by APC at the November 16, governorship election in Bayelsa State.
“At its elemental level, Governor Seriake Dickson’s deception machine has essentially run on creating falsehood around formidable opponents as a ploy to justify intended poll rigging and violence.
“The most basic step in this criminal strategy, as the whole world is witnessing currently, has always been to identify intimidating rivals they cannot stand in a fair poll, cast mud at them, and then activate an electoral manipulation process, using thugs, corrupt officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and some dishonest security personnel.
“The immoral scheme had worked for Dickson in the past, but it will never work again. We know it as a matter of fact that Governor Dickson has converted the Bayelsa State Government House into a den of thieves and criminals. He even appointed known lawless elements as Local Government Council Caretaker Chairmen in the past.
“Bayelsa people have come to know Dickson and his gang in PDP for what they are, a band of tricksters devoid of ideas and integrity. If not, why would a serious politician spend all his energy calling out and singing the name of an opponent at a campaign launch when the electorate are eager to hear and see what the one seeking their vote has in stock for them. As always, this demonstrates the emptiness of Dickson and his gang.”
By David Torough, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has signed the Appropriation (Amendment) (No. 4) Bill, 2025, extending the implementation period of the 2025 budget from September 30, 2026, to December 31, 2026.
The amendment was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, before being transmitted to the President for assent.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the extension will give Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) additional time to complete ongoing capital projects.
The statement said the move would ensure that funds already appropriated are fully utilised without disrupting critical government programmes.
“The extension gives Ministries, Departments and Agencies more time to complete ongoing capital projects,” the statement said.
“It ensures that funds already appropriated are fully put to work for Nigerians, without disrupting critical programmes.”
Tinubu also commended the leadership and members of the National Assembly for what the statement described as the prompt consideration of the amendment.
The president said the development demonstrated continued cooperation between the Executive and Legislative arms of government in the interest of the country.
The amendment therefore allows the Federal Government to continue implementing the 2025 budget until December 31, 2026, instead of the earlier September 30 deadline.
President Bola Tinubu has submitted the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the House of Representatives for consideration and passage.
This is contained in a letter dated Aug.
20, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen and read by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu at plenary on Tuesday in Abuja.In the letter, Tinubu said that the budget was prepared by the Minister of Niger Delta Development in line with the provisions of Section 121 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the proposal was based on the NDDC’s revenue and expenditure forecasts and it aligned with the fiscal and developmental policies of the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said that the proposal also took into consideration the 2024–2026 Economic Recovery Growth Plan as well as key assumptions of the 2026 Appropriation Act of the Federal Government.
The President said the NDDC had prioritised programmes aimed at improving youth empowerment, energy and power supply, education, industrial and enterprise development, health and security.
He also listed increased agricultural productivity among the commission’s priorities, saying the interventions were intended to lift a significant number of citizens out of poverty.
Tinubu urged the House to give the proposal consideration and ensure its timely passage.
“I look forward to the timely passage of the 2026 Statutory Budget Proposal of the NDDC by the House of Representatives,” he said. (NAN)
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.
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