APC And PDP Candidates Deny Petitions Challenging Adeleke's Victory

The All Progressives Congress (APC) legal team in Osun State, along with Adebayo Adedamola, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the August 15 election, have both rejected petitions disputing Governor Ademola Adeleke’s win.

This followed the posting on September 7 of two separate petitions at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo. The first petition, labeled EPT/OS/GOV/01/2026, names Bola Oyebamiji and the APC as petitioners, with Adeleke, Accord, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents. The second petition, EPT/OS/GOV/02/2026, lists Adedamola as petitioner, with INEC, Accord, and Adeleke as respondents. The tribunal’s secretary, Pefe Belemore, confirmed that election outcome challenges had been filed.

However, the APC legal team stated it did not authorize any petition against Adeleke’s victory. Similarly, Adedamola denied filing or authorizing any case challenging the governor. Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adekunle Adegoke, a leader of the APC legal team, explained that their lawyers had advised Oyebamiji against taking the matter to the tribunal, believing litigation was not in Osun State’s best interest.

Adegoke emphasized that the legal team had no personal grievances against Adeleke or any other party candidate and acknowledged there were valid grounds to challenge the result but chose to allow the people to “rest.” Oyebamiji’s later public congratulation of Adeleke aligned with the legal team’s stance, making it unlikely he would authorize a petition after accepting the election outcome.

Adegoke described the petition displayed at the tribunal as filed by individuals falsely claiming to represent the APC legal team, which the official APC lawyers have disowned.

Adedamola also refuted any involvement in filing a petition, stating neither he nor his lawyers had been informed of such a decision. He pointed out that he had publicly supported and voted for Adeleke before the election and saw no reason to contest the result.

Governor Ademola Adeleke, representing the Accord party, was declared the winner of the August 15 governorship election with 511,067 votes.