Former governor Timipre Sylva did not sponsor any coup detat, his media aide Julius Bokoru, has disclosed. The aide said the former governor is a true democrat, and a staunch supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Bokoru blamed the governor’s political detractors for the recent allegations that he was the sponsor of a reported botched coup plot that led to the arrest of some top military brass.
His rebuttal was contained in a statement, on Wednesday, blaming some politicians in the country who are not comfortable for the rising profile of the former Bayelsa state governor for the allegation.
He stressed that Sylva had recently proved his credential and support for democracy when he mobilized critical stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in Bayelsa state to endorse president Tinubu for a second term.
He however confirmed that some security operatives raided the Abuja home of the former governor, saying his principal was out of the country at the time, adding that the reason for the raid has yet to be fathomed.
Part of the statement: “In the past forty-eight hours, I have been inundated with calls from members of the press, political associates, and concerned individuals regarding 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 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.
“It is important to state unequivocally that His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, and his esteemed wife, Her Excellency, Alanyingi Sylva, were both outside the country at the time of the incident.
“As at my last communication with His Excellency, he was engaged in 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, regrettably, were reports circulating across social media and other platforms concerning the raid on his residence.
“While the Defence Headquarters has already debunked the swirling rumours of a coup in Nigeria, it is important to state emphatically that Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, has no involvement whatsoever, either in planning or in logistics with any such plot.
“Chief Sylva is a thoroughbred democrat, whose entire political journey has been defined by his 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.
“His unwavering support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a matter of public record. It remains fresh in memory how he mobilized the entire Bayelsa APC structure to unanimously endorse President Tinubu at the APC Bayelsa Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting.
“These rumours are 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,” Bokoru said.
The magazine reports that some top brass of the military are still being detained over the alleged coup, even though the federal government has denied knowledge of plot by some disgruntled officer to take-over power.
Sylva was a former Minister of State for Petroleum under the late Muhammadu B uhari’s administration.
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