The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of four lawmakers from Osun State who defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The affected lawmakers are:
- Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi (Osun East)
- Senator Olubiyi Oluwole Fadeyi (Osun Central)
- Omirin Emmanuel Olusanya (Atakumosa East/West and Ilesa East/West Federal Constituency)
- Taofeek Abimbola Ajilesoro (Ife Central/East/North/South Federal Constituency)
In four separate suits filed on August 20, PDP’s lead counsel, Raphael Oyewole, named the lawmakers as the first defendants. The Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives were listed as second defendants in their respective cases, with the National Assembly, its Clerk, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) joined as third to fifth defendants.
The PDP argues that under Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, lawmakers who defect from the party that sponsored their election — without a proven division, merger, or faction — automatically lose their seats.
The party is asking the court to:
- Declare the seats vacant, citing constitutional breach
- Compel the Senate President and House Speaker to declare the vacancies
- Order INEC to conduct by-elections
- Stop all salaries and benefits to the affected lawmakers
- Order a refund of all earnings received since their defection
- Ensure compliance with Section 68(1)(g) and 68(2) of the Constitution
The cases are marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1725/2025, FHC/ABJ/CS/1726/2025, FHC/ABJ/CS/1727/2025, and FHC/ABJ/CS/1728/2025, and are yet to be assigned to a judge.
This move comes weeks after the PDP filed a similar case against Rep. Oluwole Oke over his defection, with the party vowing to continue enforcing constitutional provisions against unlawful party-switching by elected officials.