Former Bayelsa State Governor and immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the ruling party of abandoning the principles on which it was founded.
Sylva, a founding member of the APC, announced his resignation in a letter dated August 31, 2026, addressed to the APC Ward 4 Chairman in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, his home ward.
He said his decision followed extensive consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
In the letter, which was also copied to the APC National Chairman, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Bayelsa State APC Chairman, Sylva expressed disappointment over what he described as the “thorough and unrecognisable” abandonment of the ideals that initially attracted him and other Nigerians to the party.
Sylva: I Can No Longer Remain in APC
The former governor recalled the role he played alongside other party members in building the APC, saying he contributed his resources and efforts to the growth of the party.
He said it was therefore painful to see the principles they believed in being discarded.
Sylva stated that he could no longer remain in a political party whose leaders, according to him, had adopted the belief that “all is fair in politics.”
He argued that political competition should still be guided by decency and morality.
“All cannot be fair in any endeavour of life. The demands of basic decency and morality forbid it,” he said.
Sylva said his resignation was effective immediately.
Former Governor Accuses APC Government of Failing Nigerians
The former minister also took aim at the APC-led Federal Government, accusing it of disappointing the majority of Nigerians.
According to Sylva, the government has failed to demonstrate a credible effort to reverse what he described as its failures.
“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 stated.
He said he was therefore left with no option but to abandon what he described as a “floundering ship.”
Sylva added that he believed Nigerians would use the next general election to change the country’s political direction.
“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 Accuses EFCC of Political Bias
The former governor also made a serious allegation against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Explaining why he copied the anti-graft agency in his resignation letter, Sylva accused the EFCC of increasingly behaving like an organ of the ruling APC rather than an independent institution of the Nigerian state.
“I am deliberately putting the EFCC in a copy of this letter because, of late, it has conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of State,” he alleged.
He acknowledged that his decision to leave the APC could expose him and his associates to increased scrutiny.
Sylva said he was prepared to face whatever consequences might arise from 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,” he stated.
Defections Ahead of 2027
Sylva’s resignation comes amid political realignments in Bayelsa State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Several of his loyalists have reportedly left the APC for opposition parties, with some complaining that they were being marginalised within the party they helped build.
His running mate in the 2023 Bayelsa governorship election, Joshua MacIver, also left the APC earlier in the year.
The development has raised questions about the future of the APC’s political structure in Bayelsa and whether Sylva’s resignation could trigger further defections ahead of 2027.
Sylva Currently Facing Coup-Related Allegation
Sylva is currently outside Nigeria and is being tried in absentia over allegations of financing a coup against the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He has denied the allegation and maintained his innocence.
His resignation from the APC now adds another major political development to his ongoing legal and political battles.
With the 2027 election approaching, Sylva’s decision to leave the ruling party could have implications for opposition realignment in Bayelsa and the wider South-South region.
