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By Our Correspondent 

Timipre Sylva, the former Bayelsa State governor who is currently a fugitive wanted for allegedly financing a coup plot, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in spectacular fashion, delivering a scathing indictment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and accusing the ruling party of abandoning its founding ideals for a philosophy that “all is fair in politics” .

In a resignation letter dated August 31, 2026, addressed to the APC chairman in Ward 4, Brass LGA of Bayelsa, Sylva, who also served as Minister of State for Petroleum under former President Muhammadu Buhari, did not mince words . The former governor, who has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with an alleged $14.86 million fraud, said he could no longer remain in a party whose leaders have “consistently demonstrated” a belief that all is fair in politics.

“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 wrote .

‘A Stranglehold On Our Beautiful Country’

Sylva’s resignation comes amid a backdrop of severe legal jeopardy. He is currently listed as a defendant “still at large” in a 13-count federal charge involving allegations of treason, terrorism, and money laundering linked to a failed coup plot uncovered in 2025 . Investigators have reportedly identified him as an alleged principal financier of the scheme .

Despite these grave allegations, Sylva launched a blistering attack on the party he helped build, describing the APC-led federal government as a “floundering ship” whose fate is sealed by an “irredeemable load of iniquities” . He claimed the administration has “disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians” and expressed confidence that the electorate would “free the country from the current stranglehold” in the upcoming general election.

“All cannot be fair in any endeavour of life. The demands of basic decency and morality forbid it. Unfortunately, this mentality appears to underpin virtually every action, and even inaction, of this administration,” he stated .

Accusing The EFCC: ‘More An Organ Of The APC’

In a move calculated to escalate tensions, Sylva deliberately copied the EFCC on his resignation letter, accusing the anti-graft agency of acting as a political tool . He alleged that the commission “has conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of State” .

Acknowledging the potential repercussions of his public attack, Sylva declared he is prepared for the fallout. “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 added .

The EFCC has responded swiftly, with spokesman Dele Oyewale stating that since Sylva is a wanted man, he should “make himself available to the commission” for questioning .

Sylva’s dramatic exit marks a significant political rupture and adds a volatile new dimension to the internal crises plaguing the APC ahead of the 2027 elections, as the ruling party faces growing internal discord and accusations of a departure from democratic norms .