A Senate investigation into allegations against former Petroleum Minister, Timipre Sylva, has been thrust into the spotlight after Senator Seriake Dickson publicly recused himself from the proceedings, citing fundamental objections to the probe’s methodology and his personal political ethos.
Senator Dickson, who represents Bayelsa West and is a former Governor of Bayelsa State, explained his decision in a detailed statement on his official Facebook page. The Senate Committee on Local Content had summoned an investigative hearing concerning allegations that Sylva, his predecessor as Bayelsa governor, diverted $14.8 million belonging to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Dickson stated he raised immediate objections upon discovering the hearing’s specific focus. “When I discovered that the hearing was specifically summoned for that purpose, I raised objections firstly, on the ground that there should be no selective inquiry; that the entirety of the management of the fund, perhaps from inception, should be investigated, if at all, and not just one transaction,” Dickson wrote.
He further questioned the necessity of the Senate’s probe, noting that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was already handling the matter. “I feel that this approach is too selective, especially bearing in mind that it is public knowledge that the EFCC has already taken steps meaning they have investigated and reached a certain level. I thought the Committee need not investigate that particular transaction, even though it has the powers to do so,” he added.
The senator also anchored his recusal on a declared personal policy of refusing to engage in political destruction. He emphasized that despite being political adversaries with Sylva for over a decade, he would not participate in any action perceived as pulling him down.
“I recused myself because the person affected is a former governor of my state my predecessor in office, and I have a policy of not joining to fight or pull down anyone. I am not like other politicians from my area or the typical politicians in Nigeria who celebrate the downfall of opponents,” Dickson stated.
He elaborated on his political philosophy, saying, “I have always limited political contest to campaigns during elections, where I outplan, out-campaign, strategize, and defeat them on the ground and through legal processes, but never by trying to bring anyone down after elections.” He concluded this point with a firm declaration: “As I have always maintained, I am in politics for service to God and man I build, I raise, I develop, I defend; I don’t destroy or pull down.”
The EFCC had declared Timipre Sylva wanted on November 10, 2025, over an alleged case of “conspiracy and dishonest conversion” of the $14.8 million NCDMB fund. The anti-graft agency called on the public to provide information that could lead to his arrest.
In response, Sylva’s camp has characterized the EFCC’s action as politically motivated. Julius Bokoru, Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to Sylva, described it as a “coordinated political onslaught.” Bokoru stated, “It is, to say the least, curious that what was once whispered in corridors as a ‘coup matter’ has now quietly metamorphosed into a financial allegation. The same shadowy forces that once sought to criminalise Sylva politically now appear to have reinvented themselves as fiscal crusaders.”
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