Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the ruling party of abandoning the principles upon which it was founded.
Sylva announced his resignation in a strongly worded letter dated August 31, 2026, saying he could no longer remain in a party whose leaders, according to him, had adopted the belief that “all is fair in politics.”
His resignation comes amid controversy over his reported status as a wanted person in connection with an alleged coup plot.
Sylva has not been seen publicly since reports emerged that he was wanted over the alleged plot. His camp has said he is currently abroad but has not disclosed his location.
The former governor electronically transmitted his resignation letter to the APC Chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the APC National Chairman, the Bayelsa State Chairman of the party and the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Sylva said he decided to leave the APC after 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,” he stated.
The former governor described himself as a founding member of the APC and recalled his contribution, alongside other Nigerians, to the establishment and growth of the party.
He said it was therefore painful to see what he described as the abandonment of the ideals that initially attracted him to the party.
“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.
Sylva also criticised the conduct of the party’s leadership, arguing that political considerations should not override morality, decency and basic standards of conduct.
“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,” he stated.
“All cannot be fair in any endeavour of life. The demands of basic decency and morality forbid it.”
He further criticised the APC-led Federal Government, accusing it of disappointing the majority of Nigerians and failing to provide a credible path towards reversing what he described as its shortcomings.
“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 consequently left with no choice but to leave the party.
“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,” he stated.
He also expressed confidence that 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,” Sylva said.
The former minister also criticised the EFCC, which he deliberately copied in his resignation letter.
He accused the anti-graft agency of increasingly conducting itself as though it were an arm of the APC rather than an independent institution of the Nigerian state.
“I am deliberately putting the EFCC in copy of this letter because, of late, it has conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of State,” Sylva alleged.
Sylva acknowledged that his decision to quit the APC could expose him and his associates to increased scrutiny or investigation.
He said he was prepared to face the consequences, despite the possibility of what he described as a renewed “witch-hunt.”
“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.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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