Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), delivering a major political blow to the ruling party less than two years before the 2027 general elections.
Sylva announced his resignation in a letter dated August 31, 2026, addressed to the APC chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. He said the decision followed extensive consultations with 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 stated.
The former governor, who described himself as a founding member of the APC, accused the party of abandoning the principles and ideals that informed its formation.
Sylva said he had invested his resources and efforts alongside other members in building the party, making its alleged departure from those principles particularly disappointing.
“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 said.
He also criticised what he described as the attitude of some party leaders towards political conduct, arguing that political interests should not override basic standards of morality and decency.
Sylva further turned his criticism towards the APC-led Federal Government, claiming that the administration had disappointed a large section of Nigerians.
“The present Government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians,” he stated.
According to reports, copies of Sylva’s resignation letter were sent to the APC National Chairman, the Bayelsa State APC Chairman and the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Sylva’s resignation comes amid heightened political attention surrounding him. He has also been linked by authorities to an alleged plot against the Federal Government, allegations he has rejected. The EFCC had separately declared him wanted in connection with an alleged financial crime case, which he has also disputed.
The former governor’s decision now adds another layer to Nigeria’s evolving political landscape ahead of 2027, with attention expected to shift towards his next political move and its possible implications for the APC in Bayelsa State and beyond.
