Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress, accusing the ruling party of drifting away from the principles that originally brought its members together.
Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and one of the party’s founding members, conveyed his decision in a resignation letter dated August 31, 2026, sent electronically to the APC chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The former governor said he arrived at the decision after consultations with members of his family, associates, colleagues and supporters, insisting that he could no longer identify with the direction of the party.
He particularly faulted the political conduct of the APC leadership, alleging that the belief that “all is fair in politics” had become entrenched in the party and was being reflected in the actions and omissions of the administration.
Sylva recalled his role in building the APC, saying it was painful to watch the ideals that attracted him and other Nigerians to the party being abandoned.
He also accused the APC-led Federal Government of disappointing a large section of Nigerians, alleging that he had seen no convincing indication that the administration was prepared or able to reverse its shortcomings.
“The present Government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians,” Sylva said in the letter.
The former minister said he had therefore chosen to leave the party rather than remain in an organisation he described as a “floundering ship,” expressing confidence that Nigerians would determine a different political direction at the next election.
Sylva further criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which he copied in the resignation letter, alleging that the agency had increasingly conducted itself as though it were aligned with the ruling party rather than operating as an independent institution of the state.
He said he was aware that his decision could lead to increased scrutiny of him and his associates but maintained that he was prepared to accept the consequences of his action.
Copies of the resignation letter were also sent to the APC National Chairman and the Bayelsa State chairman of the party.
Sylva’s exit is likely to generate fresh political calculations in Bayelsa and across the South-South, particularly as political actors begin preparations for the next electoral cycle.
He was Bayelsa governor from 2007 to 2012 and remains an influential political figure in the Niger Delta.
