Samuel Omang
The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has dismissed reports linking him to an alleged coup plot as baseless, mischievous, and politically motivated.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sylva’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Julius Bokoru, said the rumours were the handiwork of “desperate and self-serving politicians” already positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Bokoru insisted that the former Bayelsa State governor remained a loyal supporter of President Bola Tinubu and a “thoroughbred democrat” with an unshakable belief in constitutional governance.
“Chief Sylva has achieved every political milestone through transparent democratic engagement and the will of the people,” Bokoru said. “He is not, and has never been, part of any plot to subvert Nigeria’s democracy.”
The statement followed media reports that military investigators were probing an alleged plot to overthrow President Tinubu, with claims that an unnamed Federal Government agency head in the South-South region had transferred funds to Sylva for the purported operation.
Bokoru described the reports as “deliberate falsehoods” planted by Sylva’s political rivals to tarnish his image and weaken his influence within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said Sylva’s Abuja residence was recently raided by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters, who allegedly caused extensive damage to the property.
“During the said operation, considerable damage was inflicted upon the property,” he said. “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 explained that Sylva and his wife were both outside the country during the raid — the former minister being in the United Kingdom for medical checks before proceeding to Malaysia for a professional conference.
He added that security authorities had since denied reports of any coup plot, stressing that Sylva’s political record spoke for itself.
“Chief Sylva’s intimidating political presence continues to unsettle those whose ambitions cannot withstand his credibility,” Bokoru said. “The rumours are nothing more than the handiwork of desperate politicians already consumed by 2027 ambitions.”
He noted that the latest controversy follows Sylva’s increasing political visibility in the Niger Delta, where he recently led the APC structure in Bayelsa State to endorse President Tinubu’s leadership.
The Defence Headquarters, in its reaction earlier this week, described circulating claims of a coup plot as “unfounded, dangerous, and detrimental to national security.”