ABUJA/YENAGOA — Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has resigned his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect, accusing the party of abandoning its founding ideals and the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of disappointing the vast majority of Nigerians.
In a resignation letter dated August 31, 2026, addressed to the APC Chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State (his home ward) and transmitted electronically, Sylva said the decision followed extensive consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and sympathisers.
“Having consulted widely with my family, associates, colleagues and sympathisers, I wish to formally tender my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), with immediate effect,” the letter stated.
Sylva, who described himself as a founding member of the party, expressed deep regret over its trajectory. “As a founding member of the APC, and one who joined other well-meaning Nigerians in building the Party with sweat and money, it is deeply saddening to witness how the ideals we espoused have been so thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted,” he wrote.
He criticised the party’s leadership for embracing the view that “all is fair in politics.” “Moreover, I cannot, in all good conscience, continue to belong to a Party whose leaders believe that ‘all is fair in politics,’ and have consistently demonstrated that belief in practice. All cannot be fair in any endeavour of life. The demands of basic decency and morality forbid it. Unfortunately, this mentality appears to underpin virtually every action, and even inaction, of this administration,” Sylva stated.
Turning to the performance of the current government, he declared: “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.”
Describing the APC as a “floundering ship,” Sylva said he had no alternative but to leave. “I am therefore left with no other choice than to jettison a floundering ship whose fate appears to have been sealed by its irredeemable load of iniquities. 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.”
The former minister also copied the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the letter and accused the agency of acting “more like an organ of the APC than as an institution of State.” He acknowledged the potential personal cost of his decision: “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’s resignation comes amid ongoing legal and political controversies. The EFCC declared him wanted in November 2025 over alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion of about $14.86 million linked to funds from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for a refinery project. He has also been named as a suspect in an alleged plot to overthrow the Tinubu administration and faces related charges.
Reports indicate he is currently outside the country and is being tried in absentia in connection with the alleged coup plot.
Sylva served as governor of Bayelsa State from 2007 to 2012 and later as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari. Several of his loyalists in the Bayelsa APC had already defected to opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections, citing marginalisation.
The high-profile exit adds to political tensions within the ruling party as the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections. As of publication, there was no immediate official reaction from the APC national leadership or the Presidency.
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