Former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), bringing his membership of the ruling party to an immediate end.
Sylva announced his decision in a resignation letter addressed to the APC chairman in Ward 4, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Monday.
The former governor said he reached the decision after consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
He expressed disappointment with the direction of the APC, arguing that the principles that informed its formation had been abandoned by the party’s current leadership.
Sylva, who described himself as a founding member of the APC, said he had contributed to the development of the party and was saddened by what he described as the erosion of its original ideals.
“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,” he said.
His resignation comes as he faces legal and political controversies.
In November 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Sylva wanted in connection with an alleged $14.86 million conspiracy and dishonest conversion case.
He was also identified as a suspect in an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration and is among defendants named in a 13-count charge filed by the Federal Government over the alleged conspiracy.
Explaining his decision to leave the APC, Sylva criticised what he described as a political culture in which leaders operate on the belief that “all is fair in politics.”
He argued that political conduct should remain subject to basic standards of morality and decency.
According to the former governor, the Tinubu administration had failed to meet the expectations of a large section of Nigerians and had shown little indication that the APC could be reformed.
“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 said.
He said he had therefore chosen to leave what he described as a “floundering ship” whose problems had become difficult to reverse.
Sylva also expressed confidence that Nigerians would seek political change at the next general election, saying voters would “vote for Nigeria” and free the country from what he called the current “stranglehold”.
The former governor disclosed that he had copied the EFCC on his resignation letter, accusing the anti-graft agency of acting more like an extension of the APC than an independent state institution.
He acknowledged that his decision could expose him and his associates to increased scrutiny by the commission but said he was prepared to accept the consequences.
“I am fully aware that this action of mine may invite a redoubled witch-hunt against me and my associates, but that is a risk I am willing to take,” he said.
