The senator representing Osun East, Francis Fadahunsi, has formally resigned his membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), attributing his exit to unresolved internal crises and protracted legal disputes within the party following the 2023 general elections.
Mr. Fadahunsi’s resignation was contained in a letter dated 12 June and addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in Ward 4, Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State.
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The letter said, “I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect, due to the irreparable, irreconcilable differences and protracted legal battles that have bedeviled the party at the national level after the 2023 general elections.”
Although Mr. Fadahunsi did not disclose his next political destination in the letter, multiple sources within Osun political circles say he may join the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party at the federal level.
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may join the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party at the federal level.
The development comes amid heightened political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, as cracks widen within both major parties – the PDP and APC, over leadership control, zoning arrangements, and electoral losses recorded in the last cycle.
Mr. Fadahunsi, a retired deputy comptroller of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and vocal member of the 9th and 10th Senate, was elected on the PDP platform in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. His departure represents a significant setback for the PDP in Osun, a state it controls at the gubernatorial level under Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Although Mr Adeleke has not publicly commented on any planned defection, sources say he and some allies have held consultations in recent months, fuelling speculations about a broader exodus from the PDP in the state.
Mr. Fadahunsi is expected to officially notify the Senate of his defection when plenary resumes next week. According to parliamentary procedure, such notifications must be made through a formal letter read by the senate president during plenary.
Since 2023, there have been growing speculations that several PDP senators may defect to the APC amid the party’s weakening influence in the red chamber. Mr. Fadahunsi’s exit may lend further credence to those speculations.
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With this resignation, the PDP now decreases to 29 seats in the 109-member Senate, while the APC controls 69 seats further consolidating its majority. The Labour Party (LP) now has four seats, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has two seats. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) hold one seat each.
Currently, the Senate has 107 sitting members following the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South) in July 2024 and the exit of Monday Okpebholo, who vacated the Edo Central seat after his election as Edo State governor in September 2024.
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