Group Decries Political Campaign Against Ex-minister, Sylva

The Movement for the Survival of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), has raised the alarm over a coordinated political campaign targeted at the former minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva.

MOSIEND, In a statement made available to journalists in Port Harcourt, attributed the political attacks on Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State, to his influence and long-standing loyalty to President Bola Tinubu.

The statement, which was signed by the group’s president, Dr. Kennedy West, also linked the attacks on the former minister to the support he has garnered across the Niger Delta region.

The group stated that the pattern of the attack on the Sylva looks like earlier episodes in the political history of the Niger Delta region.

The statement reads: “The Movement for the Survival of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has raised a firm alarm over what it describes as an increasingly coordinated political campaign targeting Chief Timipre Sylva, former Governor of Bayelsa State and former Minister of State for Petroleum.

“Following an all-night national leadership meeting in Port Harcourt, MOSIEND said it had reached the conclusion that Chief Sylva is facing a deliberate and well-funded political offensive driven by actors unsettled by his influence, his long-standing loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his support across the Niger Delta.

“What Chief Sylva is facing is not accidental. It is a coordinated attempt to humiliate, weaken, and politically neutralise him. It reflects the same playbook once used against the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha. We cannot stand by and watch another prominent Ijaw son be dragged down by forces hiding behind institutions.”

MOSIEND stated that any attempt to undermine Sylva indirectly threatens the President’s political footing in the Niger Delta.

The statement said: “Chief Timipre Sylva has no issues with President Tinubu. He has been one of the President’s most loyal allies, consistently committed to national stability and the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda. Targeting him destabilises the President’s political structure in the region.”

It warned that the continued harassment of key Ijaw figures risks heightening tensions and creating unnecessary distrust between the region and federal institutions.