People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the ouster of four Osun State lawmakers from the National Assembly due to their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In four distinct lawsuits filed on August 20 by its legal representative, Rapheal Oyewole, the PDP targeted two senators and two House of Representatives members.
The lawmakers named in the suits are Senator Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Senator Olubiyi Oluwole Fadeyi (Osun Central), Representative Omirin Olusanya (Atakumosa East/West and Ilesa East/West), and Representative Taofeek Ajilesoro (Ife Central/East/North and South).
The suits, labeled FHC/ABJ/CS/1725/2025, FHC/ABJ/CS/1728/2025, FHC/ABJ/CS/1727/2025, and FHC/ABJ/CS/1726/2025, list Fadahunsi, Fadeyi, Olusanya, and Ajilesoro as the primary defendants, respectively.
The Senate President is included as the second defendant in the cases against the senators, while the Speaker of the House is the second defendant in the cases involving the representatives.
The National Assembly, its Clerk, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are named as the third to fifth defendants in each suit.
The PDP is seeking the court’s ruling on six key issues, primarily whether, under Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the lawmakers should forfeit their seats for abandoning the PDP—the party under which they were elected—without any evidence of a division, merger, or faction within the party.
The party is requesting a judicial declaration that the lawmakers’ continued occupation of their seats, after defecting without meeting the conditions outlined in Section 68(1)(g), violates the constitution and automatically vacates their positions.
Additionally, the PDP is asking for a mandamus order to compel Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to declare the seats vacant immediately.
Further, the PDP is urging the court to direct Akpabio, Abbas, and INEC to fulfill their constitutional obligations by initiating bye-elections to fill the vacant senatorial and constituency seats.
The party also seeks an order for the Clerk of the National Assembly to halt all salaries, allowances, and benefits to the four lawmakers and to mandate them to refund all earnings received since their defection, citing their unlawful retention of legislative seats.
The PDP emphasized that its requests align with Sections 68(1)(g) and (2) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The suits are yet to be assigned to a judge for hearing.
In a related development, the Osun State PDP recently challenged Representative Oluwole Oke, who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, before Justice Emeka Nwite for defecting to the APC, invoking the same constitutional provision on defection.
