Funso Doherty, the 2023 Lagos State governorship candidate on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), news.ng reports.
Doherty, who made this known on his X account on Saturday evening, gave reasons for leaving the party he joined two years ago. He said he took the decision following the ruling of the Court of Appeal affirming the leadership of the PDP — the Caretaker Committee backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The former governorship candidate claimed that the ruling favoured Wike’s camp, which is bent on supporting the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He stated, “The ruling of the Court of Appeal came within days of my letter. It nullified our 2025 convention and its outcomes and, in effect, conferred primacy in the party’s leadership to a group, prominent among whom is the FCT Minister, that has publicly and unambiguously declared its support for the re-election of the current APC administration.
“Let’s be very clear about what that means in practice. It means supporting an administration that is long on rhetoric, but that has presided over deepening poverty that has pushed tens of millions of Nigerians further into hardship through its Governance approach, which is self-serving and extractive, rather than people-oriented and inclusive. Insecurity has escalated sharply. The cost of living has become an unbearable burden for ordinary families in Lagos, and in every corner of this country, even as their standards of living drop precipitously.”
This, according to Doherty, is a “tragic travesty,” lamenting that the people of Lagos have waited for too long, only to be denied meaningful improvement, with nothing to show for it.
He added, “I will not be a party to sustaining this tragic travesty. The people of Lagos State, many of whom have waited far too long for meaningful improvement in their day-to-day lives from the actions of their government, deserve much better than that.
“For a long time, I have advocated the importance of a united opposition. Nigeria’s democracy is fragile, and now under increasing threat, so this is not the time for fracturing and division of opposition political forces that believe in accountability, in constitutional order, and in the welfare of ordinary citizens.”
He, therefore, called for a united opposition front, as he remains committed to delivering the true leadership Lagos deserves.
“The need for opposition unity, especially in Lagos State, has never been more urgent than it is today, and I remain committed to working to make it happen. My departure from PDP is therefore also partly driven by my belief in the pursuit of that united opposition.
“To all those across party lines who are walking this road with me, who share a belief in the possibility of something better, I say thank you. The struggle for a better Lagos, a better Nigeria, must continue unabated and with renewed vigour,” he added.
