By Ghazali Ibrahim
Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress, APC, declaring that the party has abandoned the ideals upon which it was founded.
Sylva announced his resignation in a letter dated August 31, 2026, addressed to the APC chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The former minister said his decision followed consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
According to him, he could no longer remain in a party whose leaders had embraced the philosophy that “all is fair in politics.”
Sylva, who described himself as a founding member of the APC, said it was “deeply saddening” to see the party’s original ideals “thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted.”
He also criticised the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, accusing it of disappointing the majority of Nigerians.
“The present Government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians. And I can see neither a credible attempt nor any possibility of a revamp,” he said.
Sylva said he was therefore left with no option but to “jettison a floundering ship,” expressing confidence that Nigerians would vote for change in the 2027 general elections.
“I have no doubt that, in the coming election, Nigerians will vote for Nigeria and free the Country from this stranglehold on our beautiful country,” he stated.
The former governor also copied the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in his resignation letter, saying he was aware that his decision could trigger renewed scrutiny of him and his associates.
“I am fully aware that this action of mine may invite a redoubled witch-hunt against me and my associates, but that is a risk I am willing to take,” Sylva said.
His resignation comes amid allegations linking him to an alleged plot to overthrow the Tinubu administration.
Sylva was named by the Federal Government as a suspect in the investigation into an alleged coup plot uncovered in 2025. He has consistently denied involvement, describing the allegations as false.
The alleged plot led to the arrest and prosecution of several military and civilian suspects, with six defendants arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in April 2026 on charges including treason, terrorism and money laundering.
Reports in August 2026 also alleged that Sylva was linked to the financing of the purported plot. The former governor, however, has denied the allegations.
The development marks a major political break for Sylva, who was among the founding figures of the APC and previously served as governor of Bayelsa State from 2007 to 2012.
