Osun poll: APC legal team, PDP candidate disown petitions against Gov Adeleke’s victory

The All Progressives Congress (APC) legal team in Osun State and Adebayo Adedamola, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the August 15 election, have denied authorising petitions challenging the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The denials followed the display of two petitions allegedly filed by the APC and PDP on the notice board of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo on Monday.

The first petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, named Bola Oyebamiji and the APC as petitioners, while Adeleke, Accord and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as respondents.

The second petition, marked EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, listed Adedamola as the petitioner, with INEC, Accord and Adeleke as respondents.

Pefe Belemore, secretary of the tribunal, confirmed that petitions challenging the outcome of the August 15 election had been submitted.

However, the APC legal team said it did not authorise any case against Adeleke, while Adedamola said neither he nor his legal counsel had filed a petition challenging the governor’s victory.

Adekunle Adegoke, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and one of the leaders of the APC legal team, told Punch on Monday that the lawyers had advised Oyebamiji, the party’s candidate, not to approach the tribunal after the election.

Adegoke said the legal team met with Oyebamiji and other party leaders after the results were announced and agreed that pursuing litigation would not serve the best interests of the state.

“Right from the second day of the election, at the level of the legal team being led by about four senior advocates of Nigeria, Dr Biodun Layoonu (SAN), Dr Yomi Aliyu (SAN), myself, Kunle Adegoke (SAN) and Dr Muritala Abdulrasheed (SAN),” Adegoke was quoted as saying.

He said the lawyers advised Oyebamiji that “the best in this circumstance is for us not to go to the tribunal”.

According to him, the decision was aimed at easing tension and promoting peace in Osun State.

“We don’t have anything personal against Nurudeen Adeleke the governor, or any other person in another party, whether PDP or Accord,” he said.

Adegoke said the legal team was aware of “valid grounds” for challenging the result but chose to allow the people of the state to “rest”.

Oyebamiji congratulated Adeleke without pressure

Adegoke said Oyebamiji’s decision to congratulate Adeleke after the election was in line with the advice given by the legal team.

“Right from the second day, 16th of August, when the result of the election was announced, that is why we allowed time to play out a little before our client came out and congratulated the Governor Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke,” he said.

He questioned why Oyebamiji would authorise a petition after voluntarily accepting the result and congratulating Adeleke.

“Our client, having willingly, without pressure, without duress, congratulated Governor Adeleke, do you now think it will be legitimate as a man of honour for Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji to go behind and authorise the filing of a petition?” Adegoke asked.

He described the petition displayed at the tribunal as a document filed by individuals “masquerading as APC lawyers”.

“I want to be on record that the APC legal team has denounced the bundle of papers filed by some individuals masquerading as APC lawyers. It was not authorised by APC as a party or its candidate,” he said.

PDP candidate denies filing petition

Adedamola, the PDP governorship candidate, also denied authorising or submitting any petition challenging Adeleke’s victory.

Speaking to TVC on Monday, Adedamole said neither his lawyer nor any PDP leader had informed him of plans to challenge the election.

“There’s no petition filed by me or my counsel. So, I don’t know where they manufactured the petition they submitted at the tribunal,” he said.

Adedamola said he had no basis to challenge Adeleke because he had publicly supported the governor before the election and voted for him.

He recalled that the PDP held a press conference on August 13 to declare its support for Adeleke.

“There has never been any meeting where a decision has been reached to challenge the decision of the court,” he said.

“I even voted for Governor Adeleke of the Accord party. Why would I now change today and be filing any petition against him?”

Adeleke, the Accord candidate, was declared winner of the August 15 governorship election after polling 511,067 votes.