POLITICS
PDP’s Decision On Zoning Sacrosanct, Says Gov Diri
FROM TAYESE Mike, Yenagoa,Bayelsa State
Governor Diri explained that although he is a strong proponent of zoning and rotation of the presidency to the South of the country, he accepted the decision in good fate as a loyal party member.
The Bayelsa helmsman spoke on Friday when former Vice President and a PDP presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, visited him at the Government House, Yenagoa.
A press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that no individual political ambition should be allowed to disorganise and disorientate the party.
He said: “I am one of the strong proponents of power rotation and zoning and I still believe that power should rotate to the southern part of Nigeria.”However, our party has taken a decision and there is nobody that is greater than the party. As a party member, I cannot stand above our party. I am carefully choosing my words as an umpire because I am holding a very sensitive position as deputy chairman of one of the electoral committees.
“Governor Diri noted that Bayelsa will always work for the unity of the country and against any attempt to disintegrate it.He stressed that the corporate existence of Nigeria would be the guiding principle in choosing a PDP presidential candidate at the party’s convention this month.
“Bayelsa, at the nick of time, will first of all put Nigeria into consideration. Bayelsa will not be part of those that will support the break up of Nigeria. Instead, it will as a matter of fact be part of the writing of history in making Nigeria great.
“Senator Diri, who described Alhaji Abubakar as one of the strong contenders for the party’s presidential ticket, noted that the PDP was more interested in wresting political power from what he described as “the rudderless, directionless and failed government of the All Progressives Congress. “Diri urged the party to put its best foot forward and that the people would support whoever had the capacity to rescue Nigeria.
“Nigeria is moving, as those on the other side said, from top to bottom. The only party that can raise the country from bottom to top is no other than the PDP.”
Acknowledging Abubakar’s contributions to national development, the governor noted that his aspiration was in line with that of the Ijaw ethnic nationality where restructuring and resource ownership were paramount.”The things that hold us together have to do with justice and equity.
Wherever there is no justice and equity, there will certainly be insecurity, conflict and crises, and that is what Nigeria is going through.”Speaking earlier, Alhaji Abubakar stressed that the PDP must put its best candidate forward in order to wrest power back from the APC.
The former vice president called on the party to brace up and be united for the sake of Nigeria, emphasising that the PDP cannot afford to be in opposition again from 2023.
He described himself as one of the proponents of restructuring, a struggle he said he stood for while in office, noting that devolution of more powers and resources must go to the states for economic survival.
The presidential hopeful asserted that the country needed a leadership that can confront the challenges bedeviling the nation’s battered image head on.
He emphasised that his government would replicate same by addressing the division brought upon the country by the APC-led federal government, adding that Nigeria must be at peace before governance can take shape.
Atiku said: “We must put our best forward. Meaning who we believe can bring us back to power. It is very important.“We must brace up as a political party. We must unite to return our political party back to power. We cannot afford to be in opposition again.
“There must be peace and unity before this country can be governed. That is why I emphasise unity and the need to unify the country. What I mean is that, I am going to give every part, every section, religion and faith a sense of belonging in this country.”
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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