Timipre Sylva Resigns from APC, Says Party Has Lost Its Founding Ideals
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By James Ofili
YENAGOA, Bayelsa State — Former Bayelsa State Governor and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, has resigned his membership of the party with immediate effect.
Sylva, who also served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the APC in Ward 4, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
In the letter, Sylva said the decision followed extensive consultations with his family, associates and political supporters.
The former governor expressed disappointment over what he described as the departure of the APC from the principles and ideals upon which the party was established.
According to him, it was saddening to witness the ideals that brought the APC together being “thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted.”
Sylva also criticised what he described as a political mindset that “all is fair in politics,” arguing that such an approach was inconsistent with basic standards of decency and responsible governance.
He said the mindset had become increasingly evident in the actions of the present administration operating under the APC platform.
The former minister further expressed disappointment with the performance of the APC-led government, saying it had failed to meet the expectations of a large section of Nigerians.
Sylva said he could no longer identify “neither a credible attempt nor any possibility of a revamp” of the party, adding that remaining in the APC had therefore become untenable.
He recalled his contribution to the establishment and growth of the party, saying he helped build the APC with his “sweat and money.”
However, he said his continued membership of the party could no longer be justified in view of developments within the organisation and the direction of governance under its platform.
Describing the APC as “a floundering ship whose fate appears to have been sealed by its irredeemable load of iniquities,” Sylva said he had decided to leave rather than remain within an organisation whose current direction he disagreed with.
He also expressed confidence that Nigerian voters would make their own choice at the next general election.
Sylva said he believed Nigerians would ultimately “vote for Nigeria” when they go to the polls.
The former governor copied the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the resignation letter, while raising concerns over what he described as partisanship in the activities of the anti-graft agency.
His resignation comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, a period expected to witness realignments among political actors and parties across the country.
Sylva is a prominent political figure in Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta. He served as governor of Bayelsa State from 2007 to 2012, after which he remained active in national politics and later served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
He was also among the political figures associated with the formation and development of the APC, which emerged from the merger of several opposition political parties and became the ruling party at the federal level following the 2015 general elections.
His departure from the APC could further fuel political discussions in Bayelsa and the wider South-South region as parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former governor did not, in the resignation letter, disclose the political party or platform he intends to join following his exit from the APC.
His immediate political plans are therefore expected to attract considerable attention as the 2027 electoral season approaches.
