Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, has walked away from the All Progressives Congress, declaring that the ruling party has departed from the principles that informed its establishment.
Sylva, who served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, announced his immediate exit in a resignation letter dated August 31, 2026, and addressed to the APC leadership in Ward 4, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The former governor said he took the decision after consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters, stressing that he could no longer remain within a party whose present direction conflicted with his convictions.
Sylva, a founding member of the APC, recalled the efforts and resources invested in building the party, saying it was disappointing to see the ideals that initially attracted him and others being abandoned.
He took particular exception to what he described as the prevailing attitude among party leaders that political activities could be conducted on the basis that anything was permissible.
According to him, such a mindset has undermined basic standards of morality and decency and has become evident in the way the administration handles some of its affairs.
Sylva also launched a broadside at the APC-led Federal Government, alleging that it had failed to live up to the expectations of the majority of Nigerians and had offered no convincing prospect of correcting its perceived deficiencies.
He said his continued membership of the party had become untenable, likening his departure to abandoning a vessel he believed was heading towards an inevitable disaster.
“The present Government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians,” he stated.
Sylva expressed the belief that voters would use the next election to determine a new political course for the country, urging Nigerians to put the nation’s interest first when casting their ballots.
The former minister also copied the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in his resignation letter, accusing the anti-corruption agency of appearing increasingly sympathetic to the ruling APC rather than maintaining the neutrality expected of a state institution.
He acknowledged that leaving the ruling party could expose him and his associates to additional investigations, but said he was willing to bear whatever consequences arose from the decision.
The letter was also forwarded to the APC National Chairman and the party’s Bayelsa State chairman.
Sylva’s departure could reshape political alliances in Bayelsa and the wider South-South as parties and politicians prepare for the next electoral contest.
He governed Bayelsa State between 2007 and 2012 and remains a prominent figure in Niger Delta politics.
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