ABUJA — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed four separate suits before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the removal of four federal lawmakers from Osun State who recently defected to the ruling 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).
In the suits, filed on Wednesday by its lead counsel, Raphael Oyewole, the PDP listed each lawmaker as the 1st defendant. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, were joined as 2nd defendants in the cases affecting senators and representatives respectively. The National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were cited as 3rd to 5th defendants in all four cases.
The PDP is relying on Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provides that a lawmaker who defects from the party that sponsored their election — without evidence of a division, merger, or faction within that party — automatically loses their seat.
The opposition party asked the court to:
- Declare the lawmakers’ seats vacant in line with constitutional provisions;
- Compel Senate President Akpabio and Speaker Abbas to officially declare the vacancies;
- Direct INEC to conduct bye-elections to fill the affected constituencies and senatorial seats;
- Order the Clerk of the National Assembly to stop paying salaries, allowances, and other entitlements to the lawmakers;
- Mandate the lawmakers to refund all salaries, allowances, and benefits received since their defection.
The cases 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.
According to the PDP, enforcing these provisions would “restore constitutional order” in the National Assembly and serve as a deterrent against political cross-carpeting.
Comments