By Julius Bokoru
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In the past forty-eight hours, I have been inundated with calls from journalists, political associates, and concerned Nigerians over a circulating report alleging that His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, has “fled” the country in connection with certain purported matters.
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 on the property.
Despite sustained efforts, I have yet to ascertain the reasons or authorization behind this action. To the best of my knowledge, the officers involved did not provide any explanation for their conduct, either at the time or subsequently.
It is, however, important to clarify that His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, and his wife, Her Excellency, Alanyingi Sylva, were both outside the country at the time of the incident. As of my last communication with him, Chief Sylva was undergoing a routine medical check-up in the United Kingdom, after which he was scheduled to proceed to Malaysia to attend a professional conference.
The next development I was made aware of were reports circulating widely across social media and online platforms concerning the raid on his residence.
While the Defence Headquarters has already debunked the false rumours of a coup plot in Nigeria, it is essential to state emphatically that Chief Timipre Sylva has no connection whatsoever, either in planning or in logistics, with any such alleged plot.
Chief Sylva is a thoroughbred democrat whose political journey has consistently been guided by faith in due process and democratic institutions. From his early days in the 1990s as a member of the old Rivers State House of Assembly, through his tenure as Governor of Bayelsa State, every milestone he has achieved has been through transparent and democratic engagement.
His unwavering support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is also a matter of public record. Only recently, he mobilized the entire Bayelsa APC structure to unanimously endorse President Tinubu at the APC Bayelsa Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting.
The ongoing rumours are nothing more than the handiwork of desperate, self-serving politicians already consumed by premature ambitions for 2027. These individuals view Chief Sylva as their last real obstacle—a man whose political credibility, goodwill, and presence continue to expose their dark, narcissistic motivations.
In moments like this, truth must not be left to suffocate under the weight of falsehood. The public is therefore advised to disregard these malicious fabrications and remain assured that Chief Sylva remains committed to the peace, stability, and progress of Nigeria.
*Julius Bokoru is the Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to H.E. Timipre Sylva, CON
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