Buhari aide has confirmed Sylva’s resignation as the state minister of petroleum

He served as governor from May 2007 to April 2008, when his election was declared invalid. Up until a new election resulted in his reappearance in May 2008, the speaker had taken his seat.

Timipre Sylva’s resignation as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has been officially announced by Bashir Ahmad, Special Assistant to the President on Digital Media.

In a tweet sent on Friday, Ahmad claimed that the minister resigned in order to run in the November 11, 2023, Bayelsa State gubernatorial election.

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The tweet from the presidential assistant said, “Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former Governor of Bayelsa State, H.E. Timipre Sylva, has resigned his position to run in the upcoming Bayelsa Governorship Election.”

From May 2007 and April 2008, when his election as governor of Bayelsa was declared invalid, Sylva served as governor under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He was thereafter succeeded by Speaker of the House of Assembly Werinipre Seibarugo until a fresh election resulted in Sylva’s return in May 2008.

His government was ended by the Supreme Court in January 2012.

President Muhammadu Buhari later nominated him as the Nigerian Cabinet Minister of State for Petroleum Resources after he switched parties to the All Progressives Party (APC) on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.