Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing the party’s departure from the ideals on which it was founded.

Sylva announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the APC chairman in Ward 4, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, saying the decision followed consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.

The former governor, who described himself as a founding member of the APC, said he was saddened by what he called the abandonment of the principles that initially inspired the party.

He accused the APC-led administration of disappointing Nigerians and criticised what he described as a belief among party leaders that “all is fair in politics.”

Sylva said he could no longer remain in a party whose actions, in his view, were inconsistent with basic decency and morality.

He described the APC as a “floundering ship whose fate appears to have been sealed” and said he had decided to leave rather than remain part of what he characterised as a failed political direction.

Sylva also expressed confidence that Nigerians would vote for the country in the forthcoming general election and “free” it from what he called the current “stranglehold.”

The former governor, who was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in November 2025 over an alleged case involving conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14.86 million, was also listed among suspects in an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.

He said he had forwarded a copy of his resignation letter to the EFCC, accusing the commission of operating more as an organ of the APC than as an independent state institution.

Sylva acknowledged that his resignation could lead to what he described as a renewed “witch-hunt” against him and his associates, but said he was prepared to take the risk.