Breaking: Former Governor Sylva Wanted Over Alleged Coup Plot, Announces Resignation from APC

Breaking: Former Governor Sylva Wanted Over Alleged Coup Plot, Announces Resignation from APC

  • 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.

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Former Bayelsa governor and longtime APC member Timipre Sylva resigns from the party, citing a betrayal of the values that led to its creation.
Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa state, quits the APC, cites betrayal of the party’s founding values. Photo credit: Timipre Marlin Sylva
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.

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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.

Timipre Sylva faces legal troubles, including an EFCC investigation over alleged financial misconduct and a federal charge linked to an alleged plot to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Timipre Sylva’s APC exit comes amid an EFCC investigation and a federal court case. Photo credit: Timipre Marlin Sylva
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

Authors:
Ridwan Adeola Yusuf avatar

Ridwan Adeola Yusuf (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content writer with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.