Bayelsa youth leader, Joshua Esere, has said the former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, is “a seasoned navigator in the rough waters of Nigerian politics,” who will overcome his travails.
Esere, in a statement: “The odyssey of an Ijaw king: who is after Timipre Sylva?”, said “the waves are rough, but the Ijaw king is no stranger to turbulent seas.”
Esere’s declaration follows reports linking him to an alleged coup, which he denied, the reported raid of his Maitama, Abuja, home, by security operatives and being declared wanted by EFCC.
Esere said: “The travails of Sylva are disturbing, but not surprising. “Nigeria’s political environment is a theatre of vendettas. When a man stands tall, others try to cut him down. Yet, like the palm tree, Sylva has survived every storm that sought to uproot him.”
He noted that the former governor’s political journey reflects the spirit of the Ijaw – resilient, loyal, and principled.
“To understand Sylva’s strength,” he said, “one must look back to when he built APC from nothing in Bayelsa.
“At a time many dismissed it as the ‘Hausa party,’ he stood firm. He poured his resources, time, and reputation into giving APC a voice in Niger Delta.”
He said when APC was formed in 2013, it faced widespread scepticism in Bayelsa.
“APC was considered alien, a northern construct inconsistent with the Ijaw,” he said.
‘‘Sylva defied the odds, he turned ridicule into respect. He didn’t wait for the tide to turn. He paddled against it. That’s what leaders do.
“By 2019, Sylva’s perseverance had reshaped Bayelsa’s political landscape,’’ he said.
Under him, APC secured seven seats in the Assembly, two in the House of Representatives, and one Senate seat.
“The party won the governorship before a controversial court ruling nullified the win. That was the golden age of Bayelsa APC, a time courage triumphed over cynicism.”
According to Esere, success bred rivalry, with internal divisions emerging within the APC as some leaders sought to weaken Sylva’s grip on the party.
“Ambition took root. Some who once stood by him began plotting to replace him. They forgot that unity, not betrayal, built the party,” he said.
Despite the growing intrigue, he said Sylva’s grassroots following remained steadfast.
“People trust him because he has never abandoned them. He goes to the creeks, attends funerals, sits with elders, and listens to the youths.
“That’s why his base remains unshaken, even when the elites turn their backs,” Esere said.
He said observers now believe that the former governor’s recent ordeal is tied to this prolonged rivalry, which may have reached its peak amid shifting political alliances in the state.
Esere suggested that the crisis may not be unconnected with figures within the ruling establishment.
He cautioned: “Let’s not deceive ourselves. Some powerful individuals are uncomfortable with Sylva’s enduring influence in Bayelsa and his closeness to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What we are witnessing is not just a political game — it’s a coordinated attempt to silence a strong voice.”
He further accused certain “fair-weather loyalists” of exploiting their newfound access to federal power to undermine Sylva.
“These are people who once mocked the President, but now wear his badge for convenience. “Their affection for Tinubu is opportunistic. They forget that Sylva stood with the President long before the victory. Betrayal, however, has a short shelf life. The truth always resurfaces,” he said.
The youth leader called for calm and unity among Bayelsa APC members, urging them not to lose faith in their founding ideals.
No one can erase Sylva’s contributions. He planted the seed when no one believed it could grow. Those now sitting under the shade of the tree should not cut down its roots.”
Esere also drew a historical parallel with the late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, another Bayelsa leader who faced political persecution.
“The Ijaw nation has seen this movie before. We must not allow history to repeat itself. The politics of vengeance benefits no one. It only weakens our collective voice.”
Esere remains optimistic that justice and truth will prevail, saying: “Nigeria’s history may bend, but it does not break.
“The truth has a way of reclaiming its space, no matter how long it takes. Sylva will rise again because his struggle is not just his; it’s the struggle of every Ijaw son who believes in fairness.”
Esere invoked a maritime metaphor that has come to define Sylva’s political resilience:
“The sea may rage, and the storm may roar, but the Ijaw king has weathered worse. Those who row against truth will one day find themselves adrift.
“Chief Timipre Sylva will not sink; he will sail through, because he was born of the tide. The waves are rough, but the Ijaw king is no stranger to turbulent seas.”
The statement reads in part: “Despite these internal storms, Sylva’s hold on the grassroots endured. His charisma and record of delivery kept the party’s base intact….
“Today, as whispers of new alignments swirl…, it appears Sylva has once again become the target of political manoeuvres — this time cloaked in national intrigue.
“While some suggest that the recent clampdown bears the faint nod of higher authorities, most Bayelsa watchers agree that the real machinery of his ordeal lies within a camp and its newfound allies.
“Yet on the ground, the story is starkly different. Among the rank and file of the APC in Bayelsa, Sylva remains a symbol of sacrifice and endurance. To countless members, he is still the leader — the man who carried the party through years of derision and danger.
“For those now basking in the comfort of federal access, it would be wise to remember that political fortunes are transient. The spirit of Sylva and the loyalty he commands continue to hover over Bayelsa’s political waters.
“It is no secret that Chief Timipre Sylva is an open and ardent enthusiast of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is therefore bitterly ironic that many of those now assailing him in Bayelsa are individuals whose affection for the President is, at best, opportunistic.
“Those who seek to weaken Sylva may in time find they have wounded something far larger – the fragile faith of ordinary Nigerians who still believe politics can be anchored on principle.
“Still, hope endures. Nigeria’s history has a way of reclaiming its better angels. Truth, though delayed, seldom remains buried. Many pray that this Ijaw son will not be made to walk the same tragic path as the late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, another Bayelsa leader consumed by the politics of vengeance.”
