Bayelsa: PDP queries 15% performance of 2026 budget

– Says 2027 budget is unrealistic

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concern over the reported 15 per cent performance of the 2026 budget.

The analysis of the 2026 budget’s implementation followed the presentation of the ₦1.24 trillion 2027 budget proposal to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

According to the PDP, the low performance of the 2026 budget is a troubling reflection of poor budget implementation and a failure to translate public resources into meaningful benefits for citizens.

The party’s publicity secretary, Ikaebimo Mark, in a statement issued in Yenagoa, stated that the poor implementation of the budget is further reflected in the harsh economic realities confronting households across the state.

‘’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. A budget’s true measure is not the amount appropriated, but the positive difference it makes in the lives of the people, ‘’ he said.

Mark also raised concern over the implementation of the ₦1.24 trillion 2027 budget, particularly when the government has yet to demonstrate satisfactory implementation of its current fiscal commitments.

He pointed out that 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.”

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