Bayelsa APC Is Bigger Than One Man — Ex-Official Fires Back At Sylva

A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has dismissed concerns that the resignation of former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, could weaken the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Nabena maintained that the APC remains firmly established in Bayelsa State and would continue to compete effectively in future elections despite Sylva’s decision to leave the party.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Nabena made the position known in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday while reacting to Sylva’s resignation from the ruling party.

Sylva, who previously served as governor of Bayelsa State and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, announced his departure from the APC on Monday, citing concerns over what he described as the abandonment of the principles and ideals upon which the party was founded.

Reacting to the development, Nabena claimed that about 90 per cent of APC members and stakeholders in Bayelsa had decided to remain in the party rather than follow the former governor.

He argued that the APC had evolved into a strong political institution and was no longer dependent on the influence or political structure of any single individual.

Nabena said party leaders and members who had chosen to remain would focus on strengthening the APC’s structures across the state and mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, as well as for other candidates contesting under the party’s platform.

While acknowledging Sylva’s contributions to the development of the APC in Bayelsa, Nabena described the party as an institution that had grown beyond individual personalities.

He said, “APC in Bayelsa had become a formidable institution, bigger than an individual.”

Nabena also acknowledged Sylva’s reasons for leaving the party, saying the former governor had expressed concerns about the direction of the APC and the extent to which its founding ideals had been affected.

However, he noted that the majority of APC stakeholders in Bayelsa did not share Sylva’s decision to exit the party, stressing that many members had spent years building and strengthening the party’s political structures.

The former APC spokesman said the members would remain committed to the party despite Sylva’s departure and would work towards securing electoral victories for Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

He further argued that the challenges confronting Nigeria were not necessarily caused by political parties but were largely issues of leadership, adding that political actors often move between different platforms.

Nabena nevertheless wished Sylva well in his future political activities and acknowledged his contributions to the APC, describing him as a respected political leader in Bayelsa State regardless of partisan differences.