…Ex-Governor’s Spokesman, Allies Deny Claims
…Military Mum as Alleged Raid on Sylva’s Home Fuels Speculations
By Peter Salami
A gale of denials has followed swirling allegations linking former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, to an alleged coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The former governor, who associates claim has been out of the country for “a routine medical check-up” in the United Kingdom, has not personally spoken on the matter. However, his spokesperson and associates have pushed media reports, insisting that Sylva remains a committed democrat and loyal supporter of President Tinubu.
The controversy erupted earlier this week after reports alleged that armed personnel of the Nigerian Army stormed Sylva’s Maitama residence in Abuja over suspected links to a coup attempt being reportedly probed by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). Security sources claimed the early morning raid also extended to his Bayelsa home, where his brother, identified as Paga, was allegedly arrested.
Although the Defence Headquarters has yet to issue any official statement that varies its earlier insistence that there’s no coup plot, top security insiders have confirmed that the military may indeed be probing a coup, which has already led to the arrest of a number of senior military officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The officers are reportedly being held incommunicado at a DIA facility in Abuja.
In a statement yesterday, Sylva’s spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, described the allegations as “false and malicious.” He admitted that “individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters” raided the former governor’s residence, causing “considerable damage” to property, but said no explanation was offered for the operation.
“Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reasons or authorisation for this raid,” Bokoru stated. “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 claimed that Sylva has no link to any subversive activity, and that the former minister’s stay abroad was for health and professional reasons. “Chief Sylva and his wife, Alanyingi, have been in the UK for a routine medical check-up and are expected to proceed to Malaysia for a professional conference,” he said.
He further emphasised that the former governor’s political journey “has been defined by faith in democratic processes and institutions.” According to him, “Chief Sylva is a thoroughbred democrat who has achieved every milestone through transparent, democratic engagement and the will of the people.”
Sylva’s support network has also joined in the defence. A group under the banner Sylva Staunch Supporters (Powered by CPO) dismissed the allegations as “fabrications sponsored by desperate politicians already consumed by 2027 ambitions.” The group accused political rivals of attempting to tarnish Sylva’s reputation and disrupt Bayelsa’s political stability.
“These rumours are nothing more than the handiwork of desperate and narcissistic politicians who see Sylva as their last real obstacle — a man whose political presence and credibility continue to expose their dark, self-serving ambitions,” the statement read.
Similarly, an unnamed associate of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, a known Sylva ally, denied reports linking Ogbuku to the supposed plot, calling them “wicked and malicious.” The “associate” was reported as saying that the NDDC boss remains focused on his mandate under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
But as accusations continue to swirl and denials mount, Sylva himself has remained incommunicado. And his continued silence, coupled with the absence of any official military clarification, has only deepened speculation around one of Nigeria’s most sensational political controversies in recent years.