Osun APC legal team disowns petition challenging Adeleke’s victory

 

By Abel Chigozie 

The legal team of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State has disowned a petition filed at the state governorship election tribunal seeking to challenge the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the August 15 election.

One of the leaders of the APC legal team, Adekunle Adegoke (SAN), said the petition was neither authorised by the party nor its governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

Adegoke stated this in an exclusive telephone interview with PUNCH Online on Monday.

He said the APC legal team had advised Oyebamiji and the party leadership against approaching the tribunal after reviewing the outcome of the election.

According to him, the decision was taken deliberately to de-escalate political tension and allow peace to prevail in the state.

Adegoke said the legal team, comprising several Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other legal experts, had identified grounds that could have been used to challenge the election result.

He, however, said the team decided that pursuing litigation was not in the best interest of the state at this time.

“It's not like maybe the election was free; it doesn't mean there were no malpractices. There are valid grounds to challenge the result of the election, and we decided to let the populace rest.

“Let there be some peace and our client said yes; if it's going to take us another four years to get things together for the people of Osun, let us allow it. And that is the decision we took,” Adegoke said.

He further questioned how Oyebamiji, having publicly congratulated Adeleke, could have authorised a petition challenging the governor's victory.

“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?” he asked.

The SAN described the petition as unauthorised, saying the APC legal team had “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 added.

However, PUNCH Online earlier reported that two petitions had been displayed on the notice board of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo.

The notices, signed by the tribunal secretary, Belemo Diete-Spiff, showed that one petition was filed in the name of Oyebamiji and the APC against Adeleke, the Accord Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The petition, numbered EPT/Os/Gov/01/2026, lists Oyebamiji and the APC as petitioners, while Adeleke, Accord and INEC are respondents.

The second petition, numbered EPT/Os/Gov/02/2026, lists the Peoples Democratic Party as petitioner, with INEC, Accord and Adeleke as respondents.

The development has created a fresh controversy over the authenticity and authorisation of the petition filed in the name of the APC and its candidate.

Fifteen political parties fielded candidates in the August 15 governorship election, although the PDP did not present a candidate in the poll.