Former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the party has departed from the ideals upon which it was founded.
Sylva announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the APC chairman in Ward 4, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, on Monday.
The former governor said he reached the decision after consulting his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
“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.”
Sylva, who described himself as a founding member of the APC, said he was deeply disappointed by the direction the party had taken.
He recalled the effort and resources invested in building the party and expressed regret that the ideals it originally represented had, in his view, been undermined.
“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.”
Resignation Comes Amid Legal Controversies
Sylva’s resignation comes against the backdrop of ongoing legal and political controversies involving the former governor.
In November 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Sylva wanted over an alleged case involving conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
He was also named among suspects in an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration and is listed as a defendant in a 13-count charge filed by the Federal Government over the alleged coup plot.
Sylva, however, said these controversies were not the reason for his resignation, insisting that his decision was driven by his opposition to what he described as a political mentality that treats “all is fair in politics” as acceptable.
“All cannot be fair in any endeavour of life. The demands of basic decency and morality forbid it.”
He accused the current administration of operating in a manner that had disappointed many Nigerians and argued that he could neither see a credible attempt nor the possibility of revamping the APC.
“The present Government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians.”
Sylva Says APC Is a ‘Floundering Ship’
The former governor said he was left with no alternative but to leave the party, describing the APC as a “floundering ship” whose problems, in his assessment, had become difficult to reverse.
He said he had therefore decided to leave the party rather than remain associated with what he described as its current direction.
Looking towards the next general election, Sylva expressed confidence that Nigerians would vote in the interest of the country and end what he called the government’s current “stranglehold.”
Accuses EFCC of Political Bias
Sylva also disclosed that he had sent a copy of his resignation letter to the EFCC.
The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources accused the anti-graft agency of failing to operate independently, alleging that it had acted more like an organ of the APC than a neutral institution of the state.
He acknowledged that leaving the ruling party could expose him and his associates to increased pressure.
Despite this, Sylva said he was prepared to accept the consequences 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.”
His resignation marks a major political development for the former Bayelsa governor as political activities continue to build ahead of the 2027 general elections.
