Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Seeks Removal of Defected Lawmakers
In a significant move, Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of four federal lawmakers from Osun State who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The affected lawmakers are Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi (Osun East), Senator Olubiyi Oluwole Fadeyi (Osun Central), Hon. Omirin Emmanuel Olusanya (Atakumosa East/West and Ilesa East/West Federal Constituency), and Hon. Taofeek Abimbola Ajilesoro (Ife Central/East/North and South Federal Constituency). The PDP has filed four separate suits against the lawmakers, arguing that their defection to the APC without evidence of a division, merger, or faction in the PDP renders their seats vacant.
The PDP’s lead counsel, Raphael Oyewole, listed each lawmaker as the 1st defendant, with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, joined as 2nd defendants in the cases involving the senators and House members, respectively. The National Assembly, Clerk of the National Assembly, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were also cited as defendants.
The PDP argued that Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates that lawmakers who defect from the party on whose platform they were elected without evidence of a division, merger, or faction in that party automatically lose their seats. The opposition party urged the court to declare the continued stay of the four lawmakers in office as unconstitutional and to render their seats vacant by operation of law.
The PDP is seeking various reliefs, including an order compelling the Senate President and House Speaker to declare the seats vacant, a directive to INEC to conduct bye-elections to fill the affected constituencies and senatorial districts, and an order instructing the Clerk of the National Assembly to stop paying salaries, allowances, and other entitlements to the lawmakers. Additionally, the party is seeking a refund of all salaries, allowances, and benefits received by the lawmakers from the date they defected until the final judgment.
The PDP maintained that granting the reliefs sought would strictly enforce Section 68(1)(g) and (2) of the Constitution and restore constitutional order in the National Assembly. The originating summons were filed under suit numbers FHC/ABJ/CS/1725/2025, FHC/ABJ/CS/1728/2025, FHC/ABJ/CS/1727/2025, and FHC/ABJ/CS/1726/2025 against Fadahunsi, Fadeyi, Olusanya, and Ajilesoro, respectively.
This development highlights the ongoing political tensions in Nigeria and the PDP’s efforts to assert its constitutional rights. The outcome of the court case will have significant implications for the country’s democratic landscape and the principles of party loyalty and defection.
