It began as a quiet rumour — one that drifted through political corners like smoke without fire. Former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, suddenly found himself at the centre of an alleged coup plot. Within hours, whispers turned into headlines. But before panic could set in, his media aide, Chief Julius Bokoru, broke the silence.
Bokoru dismissed the claims outright, calling them false and politically driven. He said the story was a deliberate attempt by political rivals to soil Sylva’s image ahead of the 2027 elections. “Chief Sylva is a democrat to the core,” Bokoru insisted, reminding Nigerians of the former Bayelsa governor’s unwavering loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC.
Still, there was one truth in the mix of lies — Sylva’s Abuja home had been raided. Bokoru confirmed that the operation, allegedly carried out by Defence Headquarters operatives, left parts of the property damaged. But Sylva wasn’t even in the country at the time — he was in the UK for medical checks, preparing for a professional conference in Malaysia.
In Bokoru’s words, the rumours were nothing but “desperate lies.” He urged Nigerians to ignore them, adding that the Defence Headquarters had already denied any claims of a coup.
And just like that, what began as a shadow of suspicion quickly lost its shape — another tale of politics, power, and how fast a whisper can turn into a storm.
