- Former Bayelsa governor Timipre Sylva submitted his resignation letter to the APC chairman in Ward 4, Brass LGA
- Sylva, believed to be a founding member of the APC, disclosed that he exited the ruling party after wide consultations with family, associates and colleagues
- The ex-governor is currently facing EFCC charges and is named as a suspect in an alleged coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Yenagoa, Bayelsa state – Timipre Sylva, a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Bayelsa state, has resigned from the ruling party, citing the betrayal of the values that drove its creation.
As reported by The Cable, Sylva addressed his resignation letter to the APC ward chairman in Ward 4, Brass Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa state, on Monday, August 31, 2026.
Source: Facebook
He said the decision came after wide consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and sympathisers.
Daily Trust reported that Sylva asked Nigerians to vote out the ruling party in the 2027 elections.
The 62-year-old politician wrote:
“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’s reasons for leaving APC
Per The Nation, the former governor stated that he could no longer remain in a party whose leadership operated on the belief that anything goes in politics. He described this attitude as one that cuts across nearly every action of the current administration.
“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,” Sylva wrote.
He said he had no choice but to walk away from what he called “a floundering ship whose fate appears to have been sealed by its irredeemable load of iniquities,” and expressed confidence that Nigerians would use the 2027 general elections to reclaim the country.
Furthermore, Sylva said he sent a copy of his resignation letter directly to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing the agency of operating as an arm of the APC rather than as an independent institution. He acknowledged that the move could trigger intensified pressure on him and his associates but said he was prepared to accept that risk.
Source: UGC
EFCC charges and coup plot allegations
Sylva’s resignation comes against a backdrop of serious legal troubles. In November 2025, the EFCC declared him wanted in connection with an alleged conspiracy and the dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
He is also among the defendants named in a 13-count charge filed by the federal government over an alleged coup plot against the administration of President Bola Tinubu, making him one of the more prominent figures linked to the case.
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Bayelsa governor defects from PDP to APC
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Douye Diri, the governor of Bayelsa state, formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.
Vice President Kashim Shettima led a high-powered APC delegation to Yenagoa for the governor’s official reception into the party.
Source: Legit.ng