By BLESSING FALI
Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the ruling party of abandoning the principles and ideals upon which it was founded.
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 consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and political sympathisers.
The former governor, who described himself as a founding member of the APC, said he could no longer remain in a political organisation whose leadership, in his view, had moved away from the values that originally attracted him and other Nigerians to the party.
Sylva expressed disappointment over what he described as the erosion of morality, decency and responsible political conduct within the party. He rejected the notion that political actors could justify any action on the basis that everything is permissible in politics.
According to him, the APC he helped build has changed significantly from the organisation he initially supported, making continued membership difficult for him.
He also criticised the performance of the APC led Federal Government, saying the administration had disappointed a large majority of Nigerians and failed to demonstrate a credible effort to restore the party’s founding ideals.
Sylva said he could no longer see a realistic possibility of revamping the party from within, describing its current condition as beyond redemption.
He further likened the APC to a struggling vessel whose fate had already been determined by what he described as its accumulated shortcomings, saying he had therefore chosen to leave rather than continue with the party.
The former minister also raised concerns about the conduct of institutions involved in his ongoing legal and political controversies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
His resignation comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections and could have implications for the APC’s political calculations in Bayelsa State and the wider South South region.
Sylva’s departure is particularly significant because of his history within the party and his previous roles as Bayelsa governor and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
The resignation adds to growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with prominent politicians and political groups increasingly reassessing their affiliations and alliances.
Sylva has not announced a new political platform following his resignation.
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