PDP has dragged four Osun lawmakers to court over their defection to the APC.
The party wants their seats declared vacant and bye-elections conducted to replace them.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a lawsuit against four federal lawmakers from Osun State who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The opposition party is requesting that the Federal High Court in Abuja declare their seats vacant in accordance with constitutional provisions.
The lawmakers in question 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 Federal Constituency).
These lawsuits were filed separately on Wednesday by the PDP lead counsel, Raphael Oyewole, who named each lawmaker as the first defendant. In the cases involving the senators, Senate President Godswill Akpabio is listed as the second defendant, while House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas is named in the lawsuits against the two House members. The National Assembly, its Clerk, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are also cited as co-defendants.
The PDP argues that under Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), lawmakers who defect from the party on which they were elected without proof of division, merger, or faction within that party automatically forfeit their seats.
The party is seeking several reliefs, including:
- A declaration that the lawmakers’ continued stay in office is unconstitutional.
- An order mandating the Senate President and House Speaker to declare the seats vacant.
- A directive for INEC to conduct bye-elections to fill the affected constituencies and senatorial districts.
- An order preventing the Clerk of the National Assembly from paying salaries and allowances to the lawmakers.
- A refund of all emoluments collected since their defection.
The lawsuits are filed under suit numbers FHC/ABJ/CS/1725/2025, FHC/ABJ/CS/1726/2025, FHC/ABJ/CS/1727/2025, and FHC/ABJ/CS/1728/2025, targeting Fadahunsi, Fadeyi, Olusanya, and Ajilesoro, respectively.
