Prominent Lagos politician, Funso Doherty, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing a recent court ruling he said effectively handed control of the party to individuals aligned with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued on Saturday, Doherty said his decision followed deep reflection after two years of efforts to strengthen the PDP as a cohesive opposition platform.
“The events of recent weeks, however, have proven decisive,” he stated.
He referenced a public letter he had written to the President of the Court of Appeal, urging a timely resolution of pending PDP litigations ahead of key electoral milestones.
According to him, the court subsequently nullified the party’s 2025 national convention and its outcomes, granting leadership primacy to a group that includes the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, whom he described as aligned with the APC.
Doherty also criticised the Federal Government, accusing it of worsening poverty, escalating insecurity, and increasing the cost of living for Nigerians.
I will not be a party to sustaining this tragic travesty,” he added.
A former governorship aspirant who joined the PDP in 2024 after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Doherty reiterated his long-standing commitment to opposition unity, particularly in Lagos State.
“Nigeria’s democracy is fragile and now under increasing threat. This is not the time for fracturing and division among opposition political forces,” he said.
He pledged to continue working towards a united opposition front and urged Lagos residents to “stay tuned,” promising to unveil his next political steps soon.
Doherty’s resignation comes amid ongoing internal crises within the PDP, which has struggled to mount a cohesive challenge to the APC since losing power at the national level in 2015.
He signed off the statement from Lagos, where he has remained active in advocating for improved governance and better living standards.
