PDP Decries Bayelsa State 15% Budget Performance

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bayelsa State, has expressed concern over the reported 15 per cent performance of the 2026 budget, describing it as a troubling reflection of poor budget implementation and a failure to translate public resources into meaningful benefits for citizens.

This is coming as the State government said it was pleased with the just released BudgiT’s State of States Report that ranked Bayelsa third on fiscal discipline and financial viability among 35 states assessed in the country.

BudgIT, an independent organisation that assesses sub national fiscal performance, revenue generation, debt sustainability, facilitates civic engagement, budget reforms and effective service delivery.

The Technical Adviser to the Governor on Treasury, Accounts and Revenue, Mr. Timipre Seipulou, spoke on the new ranking during the 202nd State Executive Council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, on Wednesday.

But the PDP in a statement disagreed with the state government, insisting that the poor implementation is further reflected in the harsh economic realities confronting households across the state.

It stated that for many Bayelsans, the 2026 budget has yet to translate into improved living conditions, as a significant proportion of residents continue to grapple with multidimensional poverty, rising living costs, unemployment and limited access to essential services.

It further stated that a budget’s true measure is not the amount appropriated, but the positive difference it makes in the lives of the people.

A statement by Ikaebimo Mark, State Publicity Secretary, PDP, Bayelsa State, said the party also questions the realism of Governor Douye Diri’s proposed N1.24 trillion 2027 budget, particularly when the government has yet to demonstrate satisfactory implementation of its current fiscal commitments.

Governor Diri had on Tuesday, presented the state’s 2027 Appropriation Bill, based on a projected revenue of N1,242, 688,970,520,22, to the House of Assembly for consideration and passage.

Presenting the ‘Budget of Assured Prosperity for Sustainable Growth and Development’, Diri explained that the 2027 proposals were derived from broad stakeholder engagements involving traditional rulers, technical experts, the organised private sector and citizens across the state.

But PDP in state, said beyond its impressive headline figure, the proposed budget offers insufficient clarity on practical interventions to tackle poverty, hunger and unemployment.

“Bayelsans need more than huge budget figures; they need reliable electricity, functional healthcare, affordable education, food security, job opportunities and an enabling environment for businesses and industries,” it stated.

The PDP insists that budgetary promises must be matched by transparency, credible implementation and measurable improvements in the lives of ordinary Bayelsans.

The statement added that the government must explain how this proposal will deliver these urgent priorities.

The PDP also calls on the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to subject the proposed 2027 budget to rigorous, independent and transparent scrutiny, rather than treating it as a document for automatic approval.

“Lawmakers must discharge their constitutional responsibility by interrogating the assumptions, examining the allocations and demanding clear implementation targets that address the pressing needs of Bayelsans.”