EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, made the position known on Monday while responding to Sylva’s accusation that the commission had become increasingly aligned with the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC).
Oyewale, when asked about the former governor’s claim, simply said, “He has been declared wanted; he should make himself available to the commission.”
Sylva resigned from the APC on Monday, citing what he described as the party’s departure from the principles upon which it was established.
He also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying it had failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
In his resignation letter, addressed to the APC chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Sylva said his decision followed consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
The former governor, who also copied the EFCC chairman, the APC national chairman and the party’s Bayelsa chairman, said he could no longer remain in a party whose leadership, in his assessment, had adopted the principle that “all is fair in politics.”
Sylva described the APC as a “floundering ship” weighed down by what he called “an irredeemable load of iniquities.”
He said the founding ideals of the party had been “thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted,” adding that he could not continue to associate with a political organisation whose leadership, according to him, had abandoned basic standards of decency and morality.
The former petroleum minister further accused the APC-led Federal Government of disappointing Nigerians and said he saw neither a credible effort nor a realistic prospect of correcting the situation.
He expressed optimism that Nigerians would use the next election to alter the country’s political direction.
Explaining why he copied the EFCC in his resignation letter, Sylva accused the commission of acting more like an extension of the ruling party than an independent government institution.
He said he was aware that the move could lead to what he described as a renewed “witch-hunt” against him and his associates, but added that he was prepared to take the risk.
The EFCC declared Sylva wanted in November 2025 over an alleged case involving conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
His latest political move comes amid separate allegations linking him to an alleged plot against the Tinubu administration. Sylva is listed as a defendant in a 13-count federal charge involving alleged treason, terrorism-related offences, conspiracy and money laundering.
He has denied any involvement in the alleged plot.
Investigators have reportedly accused him of being a major financier of the alleged operation, claiming that about N785 million was channelled through Purple Waves Limited, an Abuja-based company. Authorities have also alleged that more than N5 billion was assembled for the operation.
The funds allegedly traced through Purple Waves and a bureau de change operator were reportedly distributed as part of the suspected operation. Investigators have further linked some of the money to contracts allegedly awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission and loans obtained by the company.
In July 2026, the Department of State Services arraigned five associates of Sylva over allegations that they concealed his whereabouts after he was declared wanted. They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
Earlier, in May 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim forfeiture order over nine properties allegedly linked to the former governor following an application by the EFCC.
Sylva governed Bayelsa State from 2007 to 2012 before later serving as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The allegations against him remain before the courts, and he has not been convicted of the offences.
