Osun Senator Fadeyi Quits APC, Returns to PDP After Ticket Row

• Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), barely one year after defecting to the ruling party.

• The Osun Central lawmaker accused the Osun APC leadership of breaching agreements, abandoning internal democracy, and denying him the promised opportunity to seek re-election in 2027.

• Fadeyi claimed he joined the APC after receiving assurances that President Bola Tinubu had approved his return ticket, but alleged the state leadership failed to honour the understanding during the party’s primary process.

• The senator expressed disappointment that while another senator and three House of Representatives members who defected with him secured automatic return tickets, he was denied the same privilege without explanation.

July 24, () — The political landscape in Osun State witnessed another dramatic twist on Thursday as Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi, representing Osun Central Senatorial District, resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and formally returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), barely one year after joining the ruling party.

Fadeyi blamed his dramatic exit on what he described as the APC’s failure to honour political agreements, the absence of internal democracy, and a loss of confidence in the party’s leadership in Osun State.

recalls that Fadeyi, had in July 2025, dumped the PDP for the APC, citing prolonged internal crises, leadership vacuum, and lingering litigations that had weakened the opposition party.

His defection was then celebrated by the APC as a major political gain capable of strengthening President Bola Tinubu’s influence in Osun State.

However, the relationship between the senator and the party reportedly deteriorated after the APC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, culminating in his loss of the party’s senatorial ticket to Osogbo-born Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Barrister Kunle Adegoke, during the May 2026 primary.

‘APC Betrayed Our Agreement’

In a resignation letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Fadeyi announced that his resignation from the APC takes immediate effect and confirmed that he has formally rejoined the PDP.

The senator explained that he accepted the invitation to join the APC in good faith after receiving assurances that he would secure the party’s senatorial ticket for a second term.

According to him, the understanding was that President Tinubu had approved his return ticket and communicated the decision to the party leadership in Osun State.

He said he relied on those assurances, believing they reflected the party’s commitment to fairness, equity, and internal democracy.

Fadeyi, however, alleged that the Osun APC leadership reneged on the agreement by abandoning the promised consensus arrangement and refusing to conduct what he described as a transparent primary election.

He maintained that the development created a serious trust deficit and made his continued membership of the ruling party impossible.

“The failure to honour the agreement and uphold the principles upon which I joined the party has completely eroded my confidence in the leadership of the APC in Osun State,” the senator stated.

Questions Over Ticket Allocation

Fadeyi also questioned what he described as the selective application of the party’s reward system.

He alleged that another serving senator and three members of the House of Representatives who defected alongside him were granted automatic return tickets for the 2027 elections, while he was denied the same privilege without any explanation.

According to him, the decision was difficult to understand, particularly considering his electoral performance and political contribution to the party.

The lawmaker recalled that he defeated an incumbent APC senator from Osogbo to win the Osun Central seat during the 2023 general election, arguing that the victory demonstrated the confidence the electorate had in his leadership and should have earned him fair consideration during the party’s candidate selection process.

Tinubu Still Has My Support

Despite his departure from the APC, Fadeyi was emphatic that he remains fully committed to President Tinubu and his administration.

He stressed that his resignation should not be interpreted as opposition to the President or a rejection of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Instead, he described his disagreement as being solely with the leadership of the APC in Osun State, insisting that his support for the President’s policies and programmes remains unwavering.