Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, has resigned his membership of the ruling party with immediate effect.
Sylva communicated his decision in a resignation letter dated Monday August 31, 2026, and addressed to the APC Chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The former Bayelsa State governor said his resignation followed extensive consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
Sylva described his decision to leave the party he helped establish as painful, but said the APC had deviated significantly from the principles and ideals upon which it was founded.
He maintained that the party’s founding ideals had been “thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted,” leaving him with no basis to continue as a member.
The former minister further criticised the party’s leadership for promoting a political culture in which “all is fair in politics.” According to him, such a mindset is incompatible with morality, decency and the principles of responsible governance.
Sylva also expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the APC-led administration, saying it had failed to live up to the expectations of most Nigerians and had not demonstrated any credible indication of resolving the country’s numerous challenges.
Describing the APC as “a floundering ship,” Sylva said he could no longer remain in a party burdened by what he called an “irredeemable load of iniquities.”
He expressed optimism that Nigerians would demand a change in the forthcoming general election and “free the country from this stranglehold.”
In a significant development, Sylva copied the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the resignation letter. He alleged that the anti-corruption agency had increasingly operated as though it were an arm of the APC rather than an independent institution of the state.
Sylva acknowledged that his resignation could result in what he described as a renewed witch-hunt against him and his associates. However, he said he was ready to accept whatever consequences might follow his decision.
He ended the letter by wishing Nigeria well and formally declaring the termination of his membership of the All Progressives Congress with immediate effect.
