Timipre Sylva resigns ministerial post to contest APC guber primary in Bayelsa State

Timipre Sylva, the minister of state for petroleum resources, has resigned his position ahead of the primary election of the governorship election in Bayelsa State.

This was confirmed on Friday by a presidential aide, in a tweet.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on Digital Communications, Bashir Ahmad, in the tweet, said, “Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, and former Bayelsa state governor, H.E. Timipre Sylva, has resigned his appointment to contest in the next Bayelsa governorship election.”

Sylva has only served as governor of Bayelsa for one term, therefore he is eligible to run for reelection under the constitution.

Earlier in the week, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State had called on the national leadership of the party to disqualify Sylva from contesting the governorship primaries of the party over his refusal to resign his position as minister.

The party faithful, from 43 Wards in Ekeremor, Ogbia, Sagbama, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Southern Ijaw councils of the state, in a petition to the party national leadership, pointed out that at the time the minister was screened, he had not resigned.

The petition, which was signed by Doubra Kpoku, Nelson Gbeinbo, Charles Fyneman, Ogbel Joseph, Dressman Isowo, among others, and addressed to the national chairman, national secretary, legal adviser and national organising secretary of the party, said the minister’s action is a violation of the party’s constitution.