Unfortunate, having to quit holding sway (9)
I believe the answer is:
vacillate
'sway' is the definition.
(vacillating is a kind of swaying)
'unfortunate having to quit' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'unfortunate' could be 'ill' (similar in meaning) and 'ill' is found in the answer.
'quit' could be 'vacate' (vacating is a kind of quiting) and 'vacate' is found within the leftover letters.
No letters remain.
This may be the basis of clue (or it may be nonsense).
'holding' is the link.
(Other definitions for vacillate that I've seen before include "Shilly-shally" , "Keep changing one's mind" , "Hesitate" , "Be unsteady" , "Dither" .)