•Timipre Sylva
The Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, Julius Bokoru, has dismissed reports linking his principal to an alleged coup plot, describing them as baseless and politically motivated.
Bokoru, in a statement issued today, said the rumours circulating in some quarters were the handiwork of desperate and self-seeking politicians seeking to actualise their ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.
It was earlier reported that military investigators probing an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu were grilling the Managing Director of a federal government agency in the South-South region.
Two intelligence officers had confirmed that the official was arrested for allegedly transferring a huge sum of money to former Governor Sylva, who was reportedly being fingered as one of the financiers of the alleged plot, reports The PUNCH.
Investigators were said to believe the funds were meant to finance the purported coup.
Speaking on the development, Bokoru said some politicians had resorted to mischief because they perceived the former Bayelsa State governor as a major threat and obstacle to their ambitions.
He said, such “wicked politicians” had taken their desperation to “nauseating levels,” driven by Sylva’s intimidating political presence and credibility, which continued to expose their “self-serving ambitions and evil agenda.”
Describing Sylva as an “unrepentant and thoroughbred democrat,” Bokoru said the former governor had shown unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu and faith in his administration since his election.
He recalled that Sylva recently mobilised the entire structure of the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State to unanimously endorse President Tinubu at the APC Bayelsa expanded stakeholders’ meeting.
Bokoru, however, confirmed that Sylva’s Abuja home was recently raided by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters, saying they inflicted significant damage on the property.
He said the security operatives did not provide any reason for their action, adding that Sylva and his wife were both out of the country at the time of the raid.
“His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was in the United Kingdom for routine medical checks and is scheduled to proceed to Malaysia to attend a professional conference,” Bokoru said.
He explained that he had received several calls from journalists and political associates over claims that Sylva had fled the country in connection with the alleged coup, stressing that such reports were false.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is true that the residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was recently subjected to a raid by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters.
“During the said operation, considerable damage was inflicted upon the property. Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reasons or authorisation for this raid. To the best of my knowledge, the officers involved did not provide any categorical explanation for their actions, either at the time or subsequently,” Bokoru said.
He added that the Defence Headquarters had already debunked the swirling rumours of a coup in Nigeria and insisted that Sylva had no involvement whatsoever — either in planning or logistics — with any such plot.
“Chief Sylva is a thoroughbred democrat whose political journey has been defined by faith in democratic processes and institutions.
“From the 1990s, when he was first elected into the old Rivers State House of Assembly, to his tenure as Governor of Bayelsa State, Sylva has achieved every milestone through transparent democratic engagement and the will of the people,” Bokoru said.
Bokoru added that the rumours were “nothing more than the handiwork of desperate and narcissistic politicians, already consumed by ambitions for 2027, who see Sylva as their last real obstacle—a man whose political presence and credibility continue to expose their dark, self-serving ambitions.”
