Timipre Sylva Resigns From APC, Predicts 2027 Defeat

Timipre Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State and ex-minister of state for petroleum resources, has resigned from Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress, accusing the party of abandoning its founding ideals and predicting its defeat in the 2027 general elections. In a letter dated August 31, 2026, and addressed to the APC chairman in his local government area, Sylva stated the decision followed consultations with family, associates, and supporters. Sylva, a founding member of the APC, expressed deep sadness over the party's current direction. He stated that the government produced by the APC had disappointed many Nigerians and that he could no longer see a credible effort within the party to reverse its course. He asserted that Nigerians would have the opportunity to reject the ruling party in the 2027 polls. "I have no doubt that, in the coming election, Nigerians will vote for Nigeria and free the country from this stranglehold on our beautiful country," he wrote. In the same letter, Sylva accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of conducting itself "more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of the state.