Tinubu's Ex-Minister Rumoured to Be Sponsoring Coup Breaks Silence
- President Bola Tinubu's former minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva, denied the rumour of sponsoring a coup against the president
- Sylva, who earlier served as the governor of Bayelsa state, said the rumour is totally false and politically motivated
- However, the former governor confirmed that his residence was raided by some military personnel, who did not disclose the motive of their actions
Timipre Sylva, the former minister of state for petroleum under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, has dismissed the rumour that he was sponsoring a coup against democratic rules in Nigeria.
Sylva, who was once a former governor of Bayelsa, made the dismissal of the rumour linking him to the alleged plot to disrupt Nigeria's 25 years of democracy through his special assistant on media and public affairs, Julius Bokoru, who said the rumours are totally false and politically motivated.
Source: Twitter
Sylva's aide speaks on coup against Tinubu
According to Bokoru, in a statement on his social media page, the former governor did not have any connection with any coup-related activity and that the ex-minister remained committed to democratic principles and President Tinubu's administration.
He claimed that the rumour was the handiwork of Sylva's political opponents, who were out to tarnish the image of his boss ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At the same time, Bokoru confirmed that the residence of the former governor was raided by some operatives suspected to be from the Defence Headquarters, who caused some damage during their action.
He said the reason for the raid was not disclosed by the security operatives and that the former minister and his wife are not in Nigeria presently.
Coup plot: Nigerians react to Sylva's clarification
However, some Nigerians have taken to the comment section of the post to express their views about the development. Below are some of their reactions:
Idubamo Atangari said:
"Opuabadi remain the leader of APC Bayelsa State and remains resolute to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027. No rumour will distract him from supporting President Tinubu."
Amadu Timi commented:
"God will definitely protect him. I don't think he has anything to gain from a coup or purported coup. At the end of their investigation, he will be vindicated. Every time, they want to take a notable Ijaw man to catch Cruz."
Source: Getty Images
Ekimiebi Eppe reacted:
"I pity most of those already celebrating their own downfall because this is a man who has helpfully touched wide arrays of people in Bayelsa State and beyond. "They will continue to be the handle of the axe that went to the forest, only for the trees to say this is one of us coming to betray us".
Kpenmovie Ogbotobo wrote:
"You have cleared the air with regard to their speculation that H.E. had flown out of the country just to evade investigation. This desperation is unequalled. Those who didn't work for the system are now the ones peddling fake news concerning the real founders of the party to score cheap political points. They are not agent of heaven, but agents from the pit of hell. Nature will catch up with them faster than they think."
See the full statement here:
Tinubu restructures security architecture
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu sacked all the service chiefs and announced their replacement with immediate effect.
The presidency announced the development in a statement, adding that it was part of Tinubu's effort to strengthen the national security architecture.
This came amid the rumour that some military officers are planning to oust Tinubu through a coup.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
