Osun 2026: APC reneges on court petition challenging Adeleke’s re-election

Daud Olatunji

Fresh confusion has erupted over the legal challenge to the August 15 Osun State governorship election, after the All Progressives Congress denied authorizing a petition purportedly lodged against the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The controversy followed the filing of two election petitions at the Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal Secretariat in Osogbo on Monday.

The petitions, dated September 5, 2026, listed APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and another petitioner, Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, as challengers to the election result.

However, the APC legal team immediately disavowed the petition attributed to the party and Oyebamiji, insisting that neither the candidate nor the party authorized the submission.

The development has thrown the post-election legal process into uncertainty, especially as the court had formally begun preparations to hear petitions arising from the election.

Court secretary Pefe Belemore had confirmed that petitions had been filed against the poll.

The petition numbered EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026 was reportedly filed by Oyebamiji and the APC against Adeleke, the Accord party and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

A second petition, numbered EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, was filed by Adedamola against Adeleke, INEC and Accord Party.

But speaking on the development, a member of the APC legal team, Barrister Muideen Adeoye, said the party and its candidate have not authorized any such legal action.

Adeoye said the legal team had agreed with the party hierarchy not to contest the election in court.

“We have not submitted any petition, neither for the candidate nor for the party. The said petition may have come from some people within the party, but it is without the permission of the leadership.”

He added that the appearance of the petition on the court’s noticeboard was unexpected.

“The legal team, together with the party hierarchy, agreed not to file any petitions and we have not filed any.

“I also know that a notice of motion was posted in the courthouse today. This is strange and, again, we did not file said motion.”

Another senior member of the APC legal team, Dr. Abiodun Layonu, SAN, also dismissed the purported petition.

Layonu described the development as shocking and said neither Oyebamiji nor the APC had authorized the legal action.

He urged APC members and the public to ignore the petition, stressing that it did not come from the party’s legal team.

The controversy comes in the context of Adeleke’s declaration as the winner of the August 15 governorship election.

Meanwhile, the Accord Party said it was not troubled by the development, arguing that any aggrieved candidate or political party has the right to seek judicial redress.

Osun State party chairman, Victor Akande, has said the court approach is preferable to actions that threaten peace in the state.

However, he expressed reservations about the growing trend of determining election results through litigation rather than voting booths.

“It is better to go to court than take laws into your own hands and disturb peace and other things.

“I believe our elections should end at the ballot box; the court should not decide the winners of the election.”

Akande argued that the Accord Party and its candidate were confident of their victory and would defend their position if the matter went before the court.

The conflicting positions have raised questions about the identity and authority of those behind the petition filed on behalf of the APC and its candidate.

On Monday, Accord Party officials and members of its legal team were seen at the court secretariat as preparations for the election petition continued.

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