The senator representing Osun Central, Olubiyi Fadeyi, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing unresolved internal crises and the inability of the party to offer coherent leadership at the national level.

Mr Fadeyi’s resignation, conveyed in a letter dated 12 June and addressed to the chairman of the PDP in Ward 3, Oke-Ejigbo, Ila-Orangun, came barely hours after a similar announcement by the senator for Osun East, Francis Fadahunsi.

The resignation letter pointed to deep-rooted divisions, court battles, and ineffective structures that have hindered governance and effective representation.

“I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,” the letter said.

Mr Fadeyi noted that the decision followed extensive consultations with political associates, family members, and close advisers.

With his resignation, the PDP continues to lose ground in Osun State, despite holding the governorship under Governor Ademola Adeleke. Mr. Fadeyi’s departure also reinforces growing speculations of a mass exodus from the party ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly in the South-west. There are also speculations that Governor Adeleke will soon defect to the APC.

The PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party, has remained engulfed in leadership tussles since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections, with multiple court cases and factional disputes weakening its national cohesion. These internal frictions have triggered a wave of defections and political realignments in the Senate and across state legislatures.

Following these back-to-back resignations, the PDP now has 28 seats in the 109-member Senate, while the APC maintains a clear majority with 69 seats.

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.

At present, the Senate has 107 sitting members. The two vacant seats result from the death of Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South) in July 2024, and the exit of Monday Okpebholo, who vacated the Edo Central seat following his election as governor of Edo State in September 2024.