Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress, accusing the ruling party of abandoning the principles on which it was founded and expressing confidence that Nigerians would vote for a change of government in the 2027 general elections.
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Sylva announced his resignation in a letter dated Monday and addressed to the APC Chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The former governor said the decision followed consultations with members of his family, political associates, colleagues and supporters.
“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,” Sylva said.
According to him, the government produced by the APC had disappointed many Nigerians, while he could no longer see what he considered a credible effort within the ruling party to reverse its present direction.
Sylva portrayed the APC as a political platform weighed down by what he described as serious failures and maintained that Nigerians would have an opportunity to reject the ruling party at the 2027 polls.
“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 said.
Sylva also used his resignation letter to attack the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, accusing the anti-graft agency of conducting itself like an organ of the ruling APC.
He specifically copied the EFCC in the resignation letter.
“I am deliberately putting the EFCC in a copy of this letter because, of late, it conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of the state,” he alleged.
The former governor did not provide evidence in the resignation letter to substantiate the allegation of partisanship against the Commission.
Sylva said he was conscious that his departure from the ruling party and public criticism of the EFCC could result in further scrutiny of him and his associates.
“I am fully aware that my actions may invite a redoubled witch hunt against me and my associates, but that is a risk I am willing to take,” he said.
His resignation comes while he is facing separate allegations and legal proceedings brought by federal authorities.
In November 2025, the EFCC declared Sylva wanted in connection with an alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion involving $14,859,257.
The allegation relates to funds reportedly provided by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board for the proposed construction of the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
Sylva has previously challenged the manner in which the EFCC handled the matter. Through his spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, he accused the anti-graft agency of failing to observe due process before declaring him wanted.
The former governor has not been convicted in connection with the allegations.
His resignation also comes amid a separate investigation and prosecution concerning an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Sylva has been listed among defendants in a 13-count charge filed by the Federal Government over the alleged coup plot.
Investigators reportedly identified him as an alleged financier of the plot and accused him of contributing about ₦785 million through Purple Waves Limited, an Abuja-based company.
The investigators alleged that more than ₦5 billion was pooled into an account connected with the alleged operation, with approximately ₦785 million allegedly traced to Sylva.
They further alleged that funds were moved through Purple Waves Limited and a Bureau de Change operator before being distributed to persons allegedly involved in the plot.
Investigators were also reported to have alleged that funds credited to Purple Waves included proceeds connected with a Niger Delta Development Commission contract as well as loans obtained by the company.
Sylva has denied involvement in any alleged coup plot, and the allegations against him remain subject to judicial determination.
In July, the State Security Service arraigned five of his associates for allegedly concealing his whereabouts after he was declared wanted in connection with the alleged plot. The defendants pleaded not guilty.
In a separate development in May, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the interim forfeiture of nine properties linked to Sylva following an application by the EFCC. An interim forfeiture order does not amount to a finding of criminal guilt.
Sylva’s exit from the APC is also expected to have political implications in Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta as political parties intensify realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress is seeking to strengthen its presence in Bayelsa, where former governor and serving senator Seriake Dickson is a prominent figure in the party.
The NDC is fielding former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Sylva served as governor of Bayelsa State from 2007 to 2012 and later served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
His resignation removes another prominent Niger Delta politician from the ruling APC at a time when opposition parties are attempting to consolidate support ahead of the 2027 polls.
Sylva, however, has not announced in the resignation letter which political party, if any, he intends to join after leaving the APC.
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