Timipre Sylva, the former governor of Bayelsa State, resigned as minister of state for petroleum resources on Friday, the president said.
Before next month’s All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Bayelsa State, Sylva resigned.
Bashir Ahmad, the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital Communications, verified the development on his official Twitter account following weeks of rumours regarding the Minister’s intentions.
Ahmad tweeted, “Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former governor of Bayelsa state, H.E. Timipre Sylva, has resigned to run in the next Bayelsa governorship election.”
Sylva resigned from his position as Minister last year after announcing his desire to run in the APC’s presidential primary.
A few days later, however, he retracted the letter, despite having attended a valedictory ceremony with President Buhari and other Ministers who had contested the primaries.